Trust Me
by M.C.E.Black
Summary: Rangiku had been betrayed by the one person she cared most about. But now that he's back, can she really keep her grudge against him solid? And what will happen when the rest of the Soul Society wants his head, and she's standing in their way? GinxRan
1. Late Night Arrival

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Bleach or any of the related titles, despite how much I really wish I did.

**A/N:** Okay, so I got really bored the other day, and was watching the BLEACH musical: Dark of the Bleeding Musical, and realized that I really liked Gin and I really liked the fact that he and Rangiku were like, madly in love with each other, so I decided that I'd make a GinxRan oneshot. It's kinda angsty, but I love this pairing now (and I advise anyone to watch the musical, even though it's in Japanese. You can find it on YouTube.) Gin is a really hard character to write as, so I apologize ahead of time for any OOC-Ness. I know, I hate it, but he's so complicated. Anyways, please enjoy.

**Trust Me...**

The wings of a black butterfly fluttered silently past the officer's quarters, the moonlight reflecting off the intricate patterns. The colors that danced across the darkened path were watched by a pair of pale burgundy eyes.

As the butterfly passed, Matsumoto Rangiku moved from her hiding spot. Her delicate sandals softly shuffled along the stones that lined her way. Her regally beautiful head curved like an arc as she carefully watched her feet. The frown that donned her face was shadowed by the wave of goldenrod hair that flowed past her shoulders.

The frown was not for the wounded friends that lay near death in the arms of healers, nor was it for her own sacrifices that had been made throughout their endeavor. She was not ill, nor did she fear what was to come next. Instead, she felt quite confident about it all. She was certain that, in the end, they would prove to be triumphant. Her frown was not for the perils that Ichigo had to face, nor the fate that had befallen Rukia. It was not for Aizen, whom she had grown to trust, or Hinamori, who had trusted him even more so.

No, Rangiku was frowning for another reason. The reason happened to be a dear friend of hers; the closest if she had to be honest. Someone she would have trusted entirely with her life, had she truly had one to lose. Someone who'd made her feel welcome, and didn't take advantage of her more...appealing characteristics.  
Someone she loved more than anyone else in the entire Soul Society.

And he'd betrayed her...

He had apologized, but this was not something one could easily forgive. He hadn't forgotten her birthday, or something along those lines. That was something she'd easily brush off, (though if he had, she would have been most upset, for it happened to be the day they'd met) and would not have as much of an affect.

No, this, this was unforgivable. She was certain she would never see him again, but if she did, she would hardly be able to look him in the eye. She would also have to strongly resist the urge to attack him.

He would deserve it. If she had the chance, she would make him feel as much pain as she did at that very moment. That point in time where he turned to her, making it quite obvious he had no intention of ever returning. That moment he apologized.

The moment when he'd broken her heart.

If she had the opportunity, she would make him suffer.

Rangiku bowed her head, if possible, even deeper, for she knew she was fooling no one, especially herself. She would never be able to cause him pain. She knew that.

She'd always known that.

"What's wrong, Rangiku?"

Rangiku's head shot upward as a voice came from what had been moments before, an empty walkway. A voice she was certain had been nothing more than a figment of her imagination. A voice she hoped was nothing more than that.

She held her breath, waiting for her intruder to speak again. She feared turning around, for if it this was more than a hallucination, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to control herself. She would be held responsible for her actions.

"Rangiku?" the voice spoke again. "Are you ignoring me?"

Rangiku refused to answer, her breathing becoming quite shallow. Her eyes fluttered shut as she listened to the wind blowing between them. If she focused on something other than the voice, perhaps it would go away. Perhaps it would turn out to be nothing at all.

"Rangiku..." The voice spoke her name softly. Her eyes popped open, realizing that what she was hearing was very real. It wasn't her mind after all.

"Gin..." she said slowly, turning her head. She couldn't see him, but could feel his presence. His spiritual energy was so strong. She wondered why she hadn't felt it before.

Perhaps she'd been ignoring it.

With a satisfied sigh, the voice continued. "I was worried..." he said. "I thought for a moment you didn't recognize me."

Rangiku breathed deeply, trying to calm her thundering heart. His voice, to her dismay, was quite relaxing in itself. The slow mystical drawl echoed in her mind, surfacing nothing but memory after painful memory of their past. Of everything they'd been through.

"Rangiku..." he said, sounding apprehensive. She wondered why he continued to say her name. She knew he was talking to her. She wasn't about to forget it.

There was a strange tone in his voice as he said it though, she noticed. It was not at all like he used to say it. It was almost as if he were trying to reassure himself. As if he weren't sure he was actually talking to her. As if he were trying to convince himself he wasn't in a dream.

"Ran-"

"I hear you..." she said sharply, much sharper than she'd intended.

"I know..." he replied. "But you still had me worried."

Gin, worry? She'd never heard of such a thing. His smile had always been so reassuring. It was as if he always knew what was going to happen. That everything was going to be okay.

She felt like she could always trust that smile.

Turning to face him, she noticed that the smile was gone. The man before her no longer looked like Ichimaru Gin. At least, not the one she'd known for so many years. There had been a time in her life that she'd once seen him in this state, but she had forced that to the back of her mind. She was certain he'd tried to forget about it too.

Gin's face had grown worn, and paler than usual. His silver hair no longer swept gracefully across his forehead, but instead hung limply beside his ears. If it were possible, Rangiku could have sworn he looked thinner.

"Gin..." she said softly, feeling all thoughts of hatred toward him flee from her mind. The instinct to immediately run toward him and embrace him was smothered instantly, causing her to remain where she stood.

"I'm sorry, Rangiku." he said shortly.

Rangiku shook her head. "Don't say that..."

"But I am..." he insisted. His foot shifted slightly as though he wanted to move closer to her. "You know you want me to apologize..."

"I don't want to hear it," she said sternly, finally collecting herself for the most part. "_You_ know that I don't."

"Why do you think I came back, Rangiku?" Gin asked, his eyes still squinted in their usual fashion, though she could tell he was looking at her intensely. He wanted to know if she was correct. He wanted to know if she still cared about him.

Rangiku shook her head, her hair gently moving across her shoulders. She noticed that Gin was watching her movements carefully, as to not miss one.

"I don't know..." she answered honestly.

"I think you do..." he continued. "I think you do, Rangiku." He stepped forward, crossing his arms in front of him, hiding his hands inside his sleeves. "And you're glad that I'm back..."

Rangiku felt herself move backward. "N-No," she answered. "No, I'm not."

Gin would have looked surprised, that is, if he hadn't already known that she was lying to him.

"Rangiku, you can't lie to-"

"Would you stop saying my name?" Rangiku said fiercely, her eyes flashing in the moonlight. "I know it, Gin. I'm not about to forget it. You need not say it in every sentence."

Gin paused briefly, unsure of how to respond to her outburst. His mouth closed slowly and his eyes finally were no longer focused on her. Instead, he looked at a point by her feet.

"I've missed saying it, Ra..." he stopped shortly, catching himself. "I've missed saying it."

Tears pricked her eyelashes, though she fought back the release. She wouldn't allow herself to cry in front of him. He still had her. She was wrapped tightly around the bony little pinky finger of his, and he knew it. She knew he knew it. She just hoped he wasn't going to use this against her.

"Please..." he stepped forward again. Rangiku stayed put. "Please don't cry Rangiku. Not because of me..."

"How could you?" she asked, nearly gasping for breath. The fight to stop the tears from coming was taking everything out of her. "How could you do this to me? To all of them? To your friends and family? How could you hurt us like that?"

Gin avoided her gaze. "It's complicated..." She could tell he was trying his best not to say her name again, though he was clearly having difficulty. "I'm not sure you would understand..."

"I understand enough!" She retorted. "I just want to know why!"

"It's not easy to explain..." he continued, his voice edging on the side of teasing. Part of her believed that he was only doing this to mess with her, to make fun of her, to make her believe that he was still on her side.

How could he be so heartless?

"I don't care if it's hard to explain," Rangiku said, her eyes focusing on his. "You promised me that you'd be honest with me. After everything you've done, I'm not sure what to believe, or whether what you say is true, but I want to hear it. I want you be honest with me, Gin, even if it is only this one time."

"You want the truth, Rangiku?" he asked, glancing back up at her. She noticed the flicker of his old smirk dancing at the edges of his mouth. It was remarkable how much his disposition could change in a matter of minutes. He almost appeared to be the old Gin again. A very, very tired looking Gin.

"Yes," she answered, though she was hardly sure if this were true. The truth might have been something she wasn't ready to face at the moment. What if everything she'd ever known about Gin had been a lie? What if everything between them had been set up? Could she live with herself after realizing she'd fallen in-

"I had no choice," he said seriously. "It was a stupid decision, but then again, everyone makes those. Do you think Ichigo coming to save Rukia-chan was a smart idea? One mediocre Soul Reaper against the rest?" Gin shook his head. "No. But he did anyway. And why is that, Rangiku?"

She didn't answer him. It took her a moment to realize he'd taken several steps closer to her, and if she wanted to, she could probably reach out and touch him.

But only if she wanted to.

And by God, she wanted to.

"Love, Rangiku..." Gin answered, as though this were an obvious response. The smile had returned and Rangiku was doing her best to avoid looking at it. If she looked, she would fall again. She would have no choice but to trust it as she had so many years before. "He loves her. It's cute, really, when it comes down to it. Don't you think so?" His voice dropped as he took another step. "Rangiku, Love?"

Rangiku froze. She wasn't sure if she'd heard him correctly. Had he truly said what she'd heard him say.

"Rangiku..." he whispered softly into her ear.

She felt a chill run up her spine as her eyes closed once more. He was standing right before her. She could feel the heat from his body against hers. His lips dangled dangerously close to her ear.

"I came back because of you..." he said.

Rangiku didn't say anything, but she could hear her heart growing louder with every word. She could feel his warm breath on her neck, causing the little hairs to stand on end. His fingers grazed the side of her face, sliding under her hair to hold the base of her neck, bringing her closer to him.

"Gin..." Rangiku murmured, her voice border lining a whimper. "I hate you..."

"I know..." he replied, his cheek resting next to hers. "You should hate me. I hurt you. I don't deserve you." He breathed deeply. "But I've caught you now..." he wrapped his slender arms around her waist. "And I want this time to last longer than before..."

Rangiku found herself pressed firmly against his chest, her hands silently tracing the lines. She had managed to stop him before, even if it were momentarily, just by taking his arm. She wondered what could happen if she gave herself to him. Would she be able to bring him back? Would he be the Gin she met so many years ago?

"Gin..." she said again, finding that it was her this time who could not say anything but his name.

This was enough for him. He pressed his pale lips to her cheek, slowly bringing them to her mouth. He paused, lingering just above her lips for a brief moment as they thought over what they were doing. Rangiku nodded shortly and Gin closed the gap between them.

Rangiku was certain that her decision was not wrong. As her arms locked around his neck and she pulled him closer to her, she knew that he had always been the one for her. From the day they met, there'd been something about him. Something different. Something she'd never seen in anyone else.

Gin pulled away momentarily, taking one of Rangiku's hands in his own, leading her back to the room in which she took refuge every night. He closed the door gently behind him and took her back into his arms, this time kissing her more ferociously.

As he nipped at her neck, Rangiku gasped, her fingers running through his soft hair.

"G-Gin..." she said. "G-Gin, don't leave me..."

Gin shook his head, bringing his mouth to hers once again. They knew it would never be so, but it was nice to believe at the moment. In the morning, she knew he'd be gone, once again, to Aizen's side.

But for now, he was hers.

"Gin..." Rangiku said, pulling her face in front of his to look him in the eye. "I want you to be honest with me..."

"Always..." he whispered.

"Do you want me?" she asked.

Gin stared at her, his eyes filled with longing. He was positive that she was the only one who'd ever truly seen his eyes, for she was the only one who'd ever taken the time to look. In that moment, Rangiku knew that he did. It was no longer his deceiving smile she could trust, but his eyes. His eyes told her everything.

"Yes..." he answered. "More than anything, Rangiku..."

The smiles that laced the faces of the two lovers had quickly become mirror images of each other. Rangiku reached for his hand once again, slowly tracing it across her chest stopping short, allowing him to explore as he pleased.

"Do you trust me, Rangiku?" he asked, not daring to take anything further without her consent.

Rangiku nodded. "Yes..."

Pleased, Gin continued, slowly sliding his hand down her shoulder, kissing her deeply. As Gin touched her, Rangiku felt herself become whole. Since she'd been a child, there had always been something missing in her life. Something that was _there_, but not entirely. Or rather, a someone.

A someone that loved her in return.

Later that night, as Rangiku lay her head against Gin's chest, Gin thought over everything that had happened. He was finally with the woman he'd loved for so long, and it pained him that it could not last. Their love would remain a secret until the war waging between the Soul Reapers was over, or possibly even longer. No one would accept it after they knew what he'd done. Who he was, truly.

He didn't understand why Rangiku returned to him. Why she still cared about him after all that he'd done, all that he'd caused her. He didn't understand how she could forgive him, love him, give him her entire being when he'd never done anything in return to deserve that. There were a thousand others he knew who deserved it more than he did. Others who would treat her better, provide a better life, be able to give her the world...

But she chose him.

He didn't understand.

Rangiku sighed in her sleep, snuggling closer to him. His hand absently stroked her hair, the other holding her bare body tightly to his. A faint smile still lingered across her lips as she dreamed, hopefully, about him.

"Rangiku..." he said softly, staring down at her, finding it difficult to look away. "I'll never leave you, Rangiku. I promise." He pressed his lips to her pale forehead. "I'll never leave you."

Though she was asleep, Rangiku heard every word, though later, she couldn't determine whether everything had been reality, or some wonderful dream. Her eyes remained shut, as to not ruin the moment.

With a final sigh, Gin nodded, deciding that he would do something. What that something was, Rangiku would never know. However, she'd been right. Rangiku had shown Gin how to love, she had shown him that there was more to life and death than what he'd already known. There was so much more than what he'd been taught.

In those moments of pure passion, something deep within him had awakened. Something that had been asleep for many years. Something that could only be awakened by an act such as this.

He'd given her his word now. He would have to stick to it, no matter what position that put him in. Aizen would never approve, nor would he truly ever have to know. If word got out, he'd have no choice but to admit the truth. He was certain of his feelings now, and was going to follow them, even if it meant being killed. It sounded stupid, especially when he thought it over, but that no longer seemed to bother him.

After all, people often do stupid things...

"_I love you, Rangiku..."_

...When they're in love.

**A/N:** Aww. Sorry. This pairing really makes me happy, and I really think they need to be together, because it makes me sad when people who love each other can't be together. Stupid writers. Lol. I'm kidding. -hugs Tite Kubo- But anyways! Please review and perhaps, maybe just maybe, I'll continue with this. Or try another, and figure out how to make writing as Gin easier. Thanks for everything, my oh-so-loyal and amazing readers!


	2. Rumors

**DISCLAIMER:** As much as I really wish I did...I don't own Bleach or any of the related titles.

**A/N:** Okay, so, I had a few more ideas for this story, therefore I've decided to keep it going, at least for a little while, and if you guys like it, then maybe it'll get even longer. The rating might go up at some time. I mean, things get a little...tense, I suppose, in these chapters, but it's nothing explicit, therefore nothing quite worth an M-rating quite yet. But I dunno, I haven't decided if I want more or not. Anyways, please let me know if you think I should continue, or should just drop it now...Thanks! Enjoy!

**Chapter 2: Rumors**

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

"Matsumoto-san?" a voice called through the door.

Gin awoke abruptly, lifting his head. He wasn't sure where he was exactly, nor how he'd gotten there. It took him a moment to realize that the hair in which his fingers were entwined, belonged to a very beautiful woman.

A very _familiar,_ beautiful woman.

"Rangiku?" he said quietly.

She moaned lightly in her sleep, her delicate fingers clenching against his chest, forming a tiny fist. A sweet smile appeared across her face as he spoke.

The knocking continued, and her eyes finally opened. Suddenly, Gin remembered the events of the night before, and couldn't help but smile at their actions. Rangiku blinked a few times before moving, but was held back down by a strong arm.

"Mmm..." he mumbled, his lips against her forehead. "Don't go..."

"I have to..." she muttered back at him. "I'll come back. I promise."

She struggled against his grip, though failed miserably, as he succeeded in keeping her in her place. In an act of persuasion, she turned and pressed her lips firmly to his, caressing his bare chest. Instead of letting her go, his arms moved to her waist, pulling her closer. Rangiku sighed, at a loss.

"You're a pain, you know that..." she told him.

He nodded, his eyes closed in relaxation, thoroughly satisfied with where he was. Unfortunately, relaxing allowed Rangiku to easily slip from his arms, standing to find her discarded robes. Gin peeked his eyes open, watching as her bare body bent over, creating small lines in her smooth skin. He wanted her to come back to him, to let him touch her again, to feel her next to him. Instead, she moved even further away, tossing her clothes back on and stepping toward the door. Her hand paused above the knob as she turned back to look at Gin, who immediately closed his eyes once again, pretending not to have noticed anything.

Having caught him, she laughed. "You're terrible..." she shook her head. "But you need to hide. We can't have anyone see you..."

He nodded and pulled the blankets over his head quickly. Rangiku had to resist the urge to laugh out loud. "No!" she hissed. "Get in the closet or something!"

Peeking out from underneath the covers, he sighed and crawled out of bed. When the closet door was securely shut, she cleared her throat and opened the door.

"Matsumoto-sa-"

Rangiku smiled as she recognized the Division Three Vice-Captain, Izuru Kira, standing just outside her door. He looked surprised at her sudden appearance.

"Good morning," he said pleasantly. "I'm sorry to bother you, but I-I thought that you'd be interested in some new information."

Rangiku stared at him, suddenly serious. "Was there a meeting? Did I sleep through it?"

He shook his head, "N-No. This is just being passed around in secret." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Ichimaru Taichou is on the loose..." A pained expression donned his face as he continued. "They want us to be on alert, and report any sign of him. The orders are that he's killed immediately..."

Rangiku felt herself tense up. She wondered if Gin could hear them from the closet. She didn't appear to be the only one disturbed by this information.

"I-I thought you'd like to know," he finished.

Rangiku nodded, unsure of if she'd be able to find her voice or not. Kira nodded as well, frowning.

"Thank you, Kira..." she said softly, stunned that it still existed.

Before she could shut the door, he placed his hand against the wood. "If you see him..." he started slowly. "You'll tell me, right?"

Rangiku knew that neither of them would be able to go through with the orders, though she also knew that Kira would never be able to keep Gin a secret. He cracked too easily under pressure. Hesitantly, she nodded.

"Thank you..." he muttered, allowing the door to close.

Hesitantly, Rangiku turned back to the room, leaning her back against the door. She couldn't say she was surprised by the news, word always seemed to travel quickly. Nor was she surprised by the response of the authorities. As much as they pretended it wasn't true, they both knew they'd have to face this sooner or later. Once Aizen was found, he and all his followers would be killed. Gin included.

She couldn't let that happen.

Composing herself, she crossed to the closet, sliding the door open. She could see him in the corner, peering at her through a pair of robes.

"Come on..." she ordered. "Get out..."

Gin shook his head. "You get in..."

"I'm not getting in there, Gin..." she said, trying to be serious. Apparently he hadn't overheard the conversation.

"Come on..." he said playfully, reaching his hand out to her. "Come here..."

He captured her hand, tugging her toward him. Finding it impossible to find the strength needed to resist him, she was pulled into the closet, the door quickly shut behind her.

"Mm mm...look what I found..." he said teasingly into her ear.

"Gin, please..." she said, still thinking about what Kira had told her.

"Begging, eh?" Gin nibbled her earlobe. "That's a good sign..."

"Gin, I mean it..." she continued.

His lips traveled up and down her neck, dancing close to the edge of her mouth. "I do too..."

"No, Gin..." she said forcefully. "Please. Not now..."

He pulled away, the unusual frown crossing his pale face. "I don't like that..." he said. "I don't like that at all. What's going on? Who was that?"

Rangiku didn't want to answer him, but this wasn't information she could keep from him for long. He'd get it out of her somehow.

"Nobody," she answered. "It's not important."

"Something's wrong," he said knowingly. "You're tense. Something happened."

"It's nothing," she insisted. "Forget it. Just..."

Gin nuzzled her neck, his soft lips grazing the sensitive skin. She gasped lightly, her fingers gripping his shoulder. Suddenly, everything that had just happened quickly slipped from her mind.

As she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, holding him as close to her as possible, a strange emotion washed over her, nearly bringing her to tears. Gin was caught off guard as her chest became racked with sobs only moments later.

"They know you're here, Gin..." she whispered.

He pulled away slightly, just enough to peer into her face. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe not _here_ exactly, b-but they know you're n-not with A-Aizen..." she explained, trying her best to control herself. "T-That was K-Kira..."

"Kira?" Gin's eyes were strangely wide. She'd never seen him look nervous before, and this certainly didn't help her feel anybody.

She nodded. "He wanted to tell me that they're looking for you-"

"Even Kira?"

"Yes..." she said. "But not in the same way..." She drew a staggering breath. "They want to kill you, Gin..."

He wasn't surprised either. It only made sense that they would feel that way, and frankly, he'd be surprised if they didn't. However, he found it bothersome that Kira was trying to help them.

_Idiot..._he thought bitterly.

Kira was only going to get himself hurt. If anyone found out he was trying to help them, he'd only be putting his life on the line. Gin didn't want anymore people getting hurt for his sake. It wasn't worth it anymore.

"Tell me you'll be careful, Gin..." Rangiku said, pulling him to her once again. "Tell me you won't go off and-"

"I won't," he said, cutting her off.

"But, Gin if they ever-"

"They won't..." he continued, his eyes focusing on hers. "Rangiku, have I ever lied to you before?"

She opened her mouth to retort, but fell silent as she thought about it for a moment. Certainly he'd done things to hurt her before, even betray her entirely, but she could not recall a single moment in which he directly lied to her.

"I didn't think so..." he said softly. "You can trust me, Rangiku."

She believed him. Though her mind screamed at her to run the other direction, she drew herself closer. Her head rest in the crook of his neck as he stroked her hair.

"You can trust me..."

GINXRANGIKU

Rangiku slipped down the nearest hall, keeping Gin locked tightly in her room. She had made him promise that he wouldn't go anywhere without telling her. He'd never been able to keep that promise before, but he'd be risking an awful lot trying to sneak out this time.

There seemed to be a strange buzz around the quarters. The usually talkative Captains were chatting with each other in corners, as though exchanging secrets. As Rangiku passed, she received several odd gazes she'd never experienced before. It was as though those she passed were speaking of her.

"Ah, Matsumoto," a familiar voice called from a doorway.

She turned abruptly to see her short Captain staring back at her. Beneath his white hair, his piercing green eyes were focused on her.

"I've been looking for you..."

"Taichou," Rangiku said, facing him and bowing slightly. "What is it?"

He stood and shuffled past her, his arms crossed as he looked straight ahead. "Follow me," he ordered.

Rangiku knew what the following conversation would consist of, but she followed anyway. She had no reason to disobey her Captain, no matter his size or age.

"In," he indicated an empty room with a short jerk of his chin.

Rangiku entered and Hitsugaya closed the door behind them. Though he was speaking to her, he failed to turn around and face her.

"I'm sure you've heard the news," he said slowly. When Rangiku didn't respond, he continued. "Ichimaru Taichou was reported missing this morning. It is quite likely that he'll return to this area."

"What makes you think that?" Rangiku asked coolly, trying to remain humble, while getting her point across.

He continued to stare at the door. "It's a widespread belief he has many ties to this place. A man of his...unstable mentality, might seek refuge in places he once trusted." He glanced over his shoulder. "Perhaps Ichimaru Taichou is finally realizing what he's done wrong."

Anger began to swell inside Rangiku, though she kept her head. If she lost her temper, it would only mean trouble for her and Gin, and even quite possibly, Kira. She nodded shortly, refusing to speak.

"You haven't heard anything, have you, Matsumoto?" Hitsugaya finally turned to face her.

She didn't answer him, still not daring to open her mouth. His eyes narrowed dangerously, as though inspecting her for revealing signs.

"Matsumoto?" he repeated.

"No, Taichou." She lied. "I haven't heard anything."

He nodded shortly. "Very well, then. If you do, please inform me immediately."

Before she could respond, the door had swung open again and he'd disappeared outside. She was certain that he'd be off to warn someone else, most likely Hinamori. She couldn't blame him for being so protective, especially after what had happened to the poor girl.

Sighing deeply, she left the room, trying to find a place where she wouldn't have to hear the murmuring sounds of the rumors flying around the place. As a hell butterfly passed by, she felt a strange chill run up her spine. She only hoped there wouldn't be a meeting held about all this. If she heard someone mention it one more time, she might snap.

"Matsumoto-san!" that familiar voice sounded for the second time that day.

"Kira," Rangiku said, feeling slightly annoyed.

"Have you seen anything yet?" he asked, sounding quite interested.

"No," she answered bluntly, moving along the nearest path. Perhaps she would sit in the garden for a while. No one would bother her there.

"Has anyone said anything new?" he continued, following her.

"No," she repeated.

Kira frowned. "Oh," he said. "Well, I heard someone say that they saw him this morning, but they weren't sure if it was him or one of the guards. Do you think it was him?"

"No," she said a third time.

"You sound as though you know something, Matsumoto-san," he said, his eyes narrowing as he stopped shortly. "Do you know something?"

Rangiku sighed, turning around to face him, her face contorted with annoyance. "No!"

Kira stared at her, backing down. "V-Very well," he replied quietly. She noticed that his knees had begun to shake a little. "I was only wondering. You will keep your promise, won't you?"

"Of course, Kira..." she said, only hoping that he would leave, and soon.

"O-Okay then," he said, nodding. "Bye-bye."

He started off in the other direction, his knees buckling only after a few short steps, bringing him to the ground. He laughed nervously as he returned to his feet and brushed off his hakama. Without another word, he hurried off toward the other Captains.

Finally feeling at ease, Rangiku found herself a small bench in the garden, just enough for her to relax and think over everything she'd learned. There were so many sides to everything, and she wasn't entirely sure which side she wanted to be on.

She could be with the other Captains, and continue to go against the evil that had been trying to do her in since the beginning of time.

Or she could be with Kira, secretly backstabbing the entire Soul Society, while not entirely intentionally helping a "convicted" criminal escape capture.

Or, she could be with Gin, where they would be kept in hiding for quite a long time. She would also be going against her people, her beliefs, and everything she'd ever been taught.

But she'd be following her heart.

She wished these decisions were easier to make, or that someone else could make them for her. But then, she'd never know if it were the right choice to make, or if it would have been the best choice in the long run.

Feelings were too much of a hassle to deal with, she decided, closing her eyes and breathing in the smell of the surrounding flowers. Her mind went blank for a few moments, allowing her the only moments of peace she would receive in the next couple of days. Weeks even, perhaps.

Breathing in...

Breathing out...

Breathing in...

She loved how this was all she had to focus on at the moment. The soft smooth motion of her breathing as it entered and flowed out of her body.

In...out...In...out...In-

"_Attention all Captains! A mandatory search will be made of all quarters at this time! Would all Captains report to their quarters immediately? A mandatory search will be made of all quarters at this time!"_

Rangiku felt her breath become caught in her chest as the announcement was made loud and clear. Rising to her feet, she panicked, noticing the cloaked guards swarming toward the Captains' and Vice Captains' quarters.

Her quarters were on the other side of the grounds, where the man they were searching for was happily cooped up, snuggling beneath layers of blankets.

Rangiku would have to get there before the guards did, to warn him, to get him somewhere else. Where exactly, she wasn't sure, but anywhere would be better than there.

The only problem was, she was certain she'd never beat the guards to it...

**A/N:** So there it is. Yep, it's a cliffhanger, which means there will definitely be a next chapter, because that would be mean if I was like: "Yeah, no. I'm just gonna stop there and make you folks suffer." Anyways, please review and tell me what you think. I apologize for any OOC-Ness. I haven't quite figured out which versions of the characters I want to follow most (Anime/Manga/Musical...oh yeah, totally a Bleach musical for those who don't know. It's pretty much the most amazing thing ever.) and some characters are hard to work with (cough, Kira, cough). I don't know too much about Kira, which makes it even harder for me, but, hey, gimme a break, I'm trying. Thank you so much to all my reviewers! I love you all!


	3. A Narrow Miss?

**DISCLAIMER:** All credit goes to Tite Kubo.

**A/N:** I'm sorry if you guys have been waiting impatiently for this chapter, I've been very very busy lately and have hardly had time to update all of my stories. I was really keen to update this one, cause it should start getting interesting soon. I don't expect this story to be as long as my other ones, unless of course I come up with more things to happen. If there's anything you'd like to see happen, please tell me and I'll take them into consideration. Thanks and enjoy!

**Chapter 3: A Narrow Miss?**

Rangiku's heart thumped wildly as she spotted the guards approaching her room. There was no way she'd make in time to warn Gin. She'd only hoped he'd heard the announcement.

"I'm here!" she said loudly, waving her hand at the guards. She bowed shortly as she attempted to regain her breath, standing before them. "I am sorry. I was speaking with my Captain. I would have been here sooner."

"That's alright," one of the guards responded, turning to the door, reaching for it.

"Wait!" Rangiku hurried before him, blocking the entrance.

"What's the meaning of this?" another guard asked, staring at her curiously. "Got something to hide?"

"No," Rangiku said hastily. "But I'm afraid I haven't had the chance to clean up, you see. Various unmentionables strewn across the floor, papers everywhere, it really is a mess. I would hate to embarrass myself in front of you fine gentlemen. Certainly you would allow me to clean up a little?"

Some of the guards seemed to find this alright, as long as they could keep watching her, however, others were not as easily swayed by her charms.

"We have strict orders, Miss," a rather large man said. "We have many places to check. I'm certain a few unmentionables are not enough to embarrass a strong Vice-Captain as yourself. Please step aside."

Rangiku's hands trembled as she moved away from the door, praying to herself that Gin was hiding. They couldn't risk being found. It would mean death, for the both of them.

The guards started into the room, none of which spoke as they searched the area. Rangiku, surprised by their silence, peered into the room.

It was empty. Gin was no longer asleep on the bed, as he was when she'd left him. There was absolutely no sign that any other person had ever inhabited the room. She felt herself grow red as a couple of the younger guards took notice of the small pair of panties that were lying at the end of her bed. Her embarrassment grew to fear quickly as the large man moved toward the closet.

She hadn't thought about that. If there were any place Gin would hide, it would be the closet. As he stepped closer, Rangiku thought quickly, trying to come up with some kind of excuse to stop him, failing to come up with one quick enough. Bracing herself, she squeezed her eyes shut.

"Well..." the man spoke. "Things seem to be in order here."

Rangiku's eyes shot open. The closet door had been closed and the guards were moving to the front door. The large man stopped before leaving, nodding in her direction.

"Thank you, Miss," he said shortly. "I apologize for the spur-of-the-moment decision. Hopefully, next time you won't be so embarrassed."

The younger guards chuckled wholesomely and the disappeared in the direction of the next room. Sighing deeply, Rangiku found herself collapsed onto her bed, rather confused and worried.

_Where had Gin gone?_

Certainly he hadn't returned to Aizen, had he? He would have said something before leaving.

_Since when does he do that?_

Rangiku tried to ignore the annoying, but horribly accurate, little voice in her head. Frustrated, she rolled over, thinking of the possibilities.

_Aizen would kill him if he returned..._

This wasn't true. Perhaps in the long run it was, but Aizen would need Gin at the moment. He would need any ally he could get, and Gin would certainly be a powerful one.

_Perhaps he's hiding..._

But where? Rangiku couldn't think of a single safe place he could be, unless of course, he'd gone to find Kira. But then again, Kira's place was going to be searched too, therefore would be a stupid change in location on Gin's part.

_Gin...where the hell are you?_

She buried her face into the covers, feeling as though she wanted to scream at the entire Soul Society. The Soul Reapers, the rules, and all those stupid guards. She wanted to yell at all of them. Didn't they understand? Didn't they see how much she needed Gin to be with her? Couldn't they see how far she'd fallen since he'd been gone?

Several empty bottles of sake lined her room, as though they were some kind of room ornament. She eyed a few of them as she lay there, secretly longing for more. If she were intoxicated, hardly any of this would matter anymore. She'd be numb, once more.

Things were easier when she was that way.

Sitting up, she decided that she was going to go for a walk. Or rather, that's what she told herself. In reality, she was going to look for Gin, with no real expectation of finding the slick bastard. She honestly wouldn't have been surprised if he'd left her. He'd done it so many times before.

_What would make today any different?_

Stepping out from her room, Rangiku watched as the guards moved from room to room in search of their prey. She watched in a panic as they moved toward Kira's room, knowing that Kira was probably much more frightened than she was. His poor legs were probably trembling more than ever.

Jerking her head in another direction, she started toward another part of the grounds. A part that wasn't under a complete search. A part where she was certain no one would find her this time.

Breathing deeply, Rangiku wandered through the flowers, finding the silence peaceful. Loving the idea that no one else was there. Finding it freeing that-

"Ah, Rangiku..."

Rangiku whipped around, her eyes growing wide. Standing about twelve feet away from her was the unmistakable form of Ichimaru Gin. She stared at him with an accusing stare.

"Where the hell did you go?" she asked sharply.

Gin put on an innocent front. "I was in hiding. It wouldn't have been wise of me to hang around while they searched the rooms, now would it?"

Rangiku knew he was right, but that hadn't been her point. She was worried sick about him. He could have at least left some form of indication to let her know where he'd gone.

"I couldn't do that..." he said, as though reading her mind once again. "They may look it, but those guards aren't entirely stupid. If I'd left anything behind, they'd know."

Rangiku fell quiet, feeling a bit guilty and selfish for thinking such things. "Where did you go?" she asked. "Where did you hide?"

"Nowhere in particular," he answered calmly, moving toward her. "I kept moving, as to throw them off the scent." His wide grin grew, if possible, even wider, sending chills up her spine.

"What if someone saw you?" she asked, sounding worried once more.

"No one did," he said assuredly. "If they had, there would have been an alarm. No worries there, Rangiku."

"I meant hypothetically," she said, her gaze becoming hard. "_Hypothetically,_ if someone had seen you, what would you have done?"

Gin didn't answer immediately. "Run or fight," he said finally. "Isn't that what I always do?"

Feeling a bit bitter about this statement, she nodded curtly. "I suppose that's true."

Gin sighed, moving past her, circling her as though he were some kind of vulture. "Come on, Rangiku...stop acting so tense," he cooed into her ear. "It's not becoming of you."

Rangiku attempted to shake off the feeling she got with him so close to her, whispering things into her ear. "Please, Gin..." she said, glancing around. "This is dangerous. You shouldn't be out here."

He wrapped his arms around her protectively, still nuzzling her ear. "No one's around. We're perfectly safe."

"But if someone were to-" she started.

He pressed his lips to the side of her neck, causing her to stop abruptly, melting at his touch. She hated when he did that. She wished she could have more control over the way he made her feel when he was with her. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to happening anytime soon.

"Mm..." he muttered against her pale skin. "Something wrong, Rangiku?" His voice was teasing as he grinned widely.

She shook her head, trying to force her eyes to focus once again. For a brief moment, they seemed to be slipping back into her head, her whole body becoming tense.

He kissed her neck again, causing her to turn around sharply, glaring at him. "Please don't do that, Gin..." she mumbled. "We shouldn't be out here."

"No one's going to find us," he said cockily, his arms still locked around her waist.

"That's not the point," she said stubbornly. "There's still the possibility." she pressed her forehead to his, her hands traveling up to his silver hair. "I can't let them find you..."

Gin sighed deeply, his lips brushing hers. She pressed herself up against him, welcoming the warmth of his mouth and the fire behind it's actions. He chuckled lightly, finding that it seemed to reverberate through her body.

"Should we take this somewhere else?" he asked, grinning against her lips.

Rangiku couldn't help herself. Finding it difficult to resist him, she nodded, whispering into his ear. "My place is safe..." she told him. "We shouldn't be expecting any more visitors tonight..."

As though they were children again, Gin playfully chased Rangiku back to her room, hiding occasionally when other captains or vice-captains were spotted. The two found their excursions to be a game. A game where neither player could get captured by the opposing side as they hurried toward their safe house.

A game where the prize was the warmth of a friendly body.

GINXRANGIKU

"Did you find anything?" An unseen captain asked as the guards returned from their search.

The large man who'd spoken to Rangiku earlier shook his head. "Nothing concrete, sir. There were a few who didn't cooperate as well, or had some suspicious items in their offices pertaining to Aizen, but nothing truly indicating signs of Ichimaru."

"Pertaining to Aizen?" the captain asked, his voice rising with curiosity. "Memorabilia, or what? What were the items exactly, and who had them?"

The man stared down at a small sheet of parchment he had rolled up in his pocket, reading the names that were listed. "Uh...Hinamori Momo."

The captain tensed a little, falling silent before speaking again. "That is understandable. He is her ex-captain. She would have items, for memorial purposes."

The guard looked up. "Would these ties lead to a possible following? Should we keep her under surveillance?"

The captain shook his head. "No. There would be no need for it. There is no way Vice-Captain Hinamori would betray her people."

"She has a record, sir-"

"That's not important," he replied sharply. "I will keep an eye on her myself. Who else?"

"A Vice-Captain Kira Izuru seemed rather uptight about something," he continued. "Didn't seem to like having us around."

"Kira usually finds himself in positions such as that. Many things make the poor Vice-Captain nervous," the captain explained. "And seeing as his ex-Captain happens to be Ichimaru himself, he would certainly feel like there was a target on his back."

"Is he under watch as well?" another guard piped up.

"I will look into it," he said shortly.

The large guard looked back at his parchment, scanning it for more names. Finally, he came to a stop at the bottom, clearing his throat.

"There was another, sir," he started hesitantly, glancing at some of the other guards. "Another we sensed to have an usual amount of spiritual energy, more so in the room itself than her." He paused, expecting the captain to speak, continuing once the man had merely stared at him. "She didn't seem to fond of us entering her room either. Almost like she was hiding something."

The captain raised an eyebrow, staring at the guard with intense curiosity. He leaned on the desk in front of him, folding his hands beneath his chin. "And who is this?"

As if he didn't already know. It was more than obvious who would act in such a manner. And after all, he had said _she._

"Matsumoto Rangiku."

**A/N:** Who didn't see that one coming, eh? Lol. Anyways, you saw what I said in the first A/N. If there's anything you'd like to see happen, just let me know and maybe I'll work it in. In the meantime, please take the time to review! I really appreciate all of those who do so!! Thanks again! Ciao!


	4. A Great Disappearing Act

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or any of the related titles. If I did, you would certainly see MUCH more of this pairing.

**A/N:** Hey everyone, so sorry about the lack of updates. I am just about out of school, so I have the rest of the summer to update like every single day. Just a few notes before this chapter starts. 1: I absolutely adore Hitsugaya, so when I pick on him or make him look like a complete jerk, I don't actually feel he's like that. I just have to come from Rangiku's POV, and since Hitsu and Gin have issues, Rangiku's gonna have some interesting feelings toward him. and 2: I really wish this chapter was longer. So far I've been doing pretty well with chapters, but there just didn't seem to be anything I wanted to add, or change about this chapter...so it's not as long as the others. For that I apologize. However! Don't let the length of it get you down!! Please enjoy it no matter!

**Chapter 4: A Great Disappearing Act**

Rangiku's eyes fluttered open the next morning, only to be stunned to find a different man with her than had been there the night before. Looming over her, Captain Hitsugaya stood by her bed, looking serious.

"Hit-Hitsugaya-Taichou!" she sat up quickly,, holding the blankets to her bare bosom. "What are you doing here?"

"You're late..." he said sternly, his arms folded across his chest in the most intimidating pose he could achieve.

"I'm sorry, sir..." Rangiku said softly. "I lost track of the time. It'll never happen again..."

She was eager to excuse him from her room, in hopes to go in search of Gin. As though he could read her mind, Hitsugaya took a seat on the far end of the bed, his icy blue eyes flashing in her direction. Rangiku swallowed hard, praying that Gin had not been found.

"Matsumoto..." he began lowly. "There is a matter about which I need to speak to you..."

"Can we talk about it later?" she asked hastily. "This isn't the best time..."

Hitsugaya raised a fuzzy white eyebrow. "Are you expecting someone?"

"N-No," she shook her head. "Not at all. I'm just...well..." she glanced down at her half-covered chest. Hitsugaya didn't seem to be fazed by it.

"You've never seemed keen to keep your clothes on before," he said matter-of-factly. "Why should this be different now?"

Rangiku felt herself flush deeply. Not only was he her Captain, but he was younger than she was. Quite a bit younger than her, actually. I made things rather awkward and embarrassing.

"Please, sir..." she said softly, averting her eyes.

Hitsugaya frowned, ignoring her pleas. "I am curious, Matsumoto, about what has you acting so very odd lately. Did something happen?"

Rangiku's disposition turned suddenly very sour. "You know very well what happened..." she growled.

"Tell me..." Hitsugaya's expression was stony and unreadable.

Rangiku began to shake in anger, no longer embarrassed by her bare form. The little runt could be one hell of a pain in the ass sometimes.

"Ichimaru-Taichou has returned..." she told him bitterly. "The rumors are flying everywhere. A girl has the right to worry, sir."

Hitsugaya knew he wasn't going to get her to cooperate under these kinds of conditions. Slowly, he rose to his feet, sighing deeply.

"No," he said calmly. "There's no need to worry, Matsumoto." His hand paused against the open door, glancing over his shoulder at her. "We're going to find him..."

GINXRANGIKU

"Gin..." a low voice said dangerously. "Where have you been?"

Gin didn't answer as he moved across the room. His long, slender fingers danced across several items that sat on a small shelf.

"Gin..." the voice repeated.

"Yes, sir?" Gin asked, his infamous smirk growing wide across his pale face. "You called?"

The man glared at him, eyes glinting from the little light found in the room. "Answer me."

Gin picked up a small glass ball and playfully tossed it into the air. The man's eyes watched it carefully, ensuring it's safety as it moved from one of Gin's hands to the other, then soaring into the air, only to land on his open palm.

"Around..." he answered cleverly, knowing that these responses were only going to anger him.

"Gin..." the man growled. "You didn't go back there, did you? To that...that place..."

"Of course not, Cap'n..." Gin replied, setting the ball back down on the shelf to move to the next item. "Now, why on Earth would I do a thing like that?"

"Don't be smart with me, Gin..." the man warned, rising from his chair. "You know I've forbidden you from going back there."

Aizen appeared in the light the shone from the single window above them. Gin didn't bother to look at him as he picked up a small book.

"This is new..." Gin pointed open, moving to open it.

Aizen snatched the book from his hands, and stuffed it hastily into his robes. "Don't touch that." he said sharply.

Without another word, he turned back to his chair and started toward it. Gin chuckled evilly, not seeing the point in getting up in the first place, to only sit down again moments later.

"You might want to find a better hiding place for your diary then..." he said teasingly. "Someone'll find it all out and the open there..."

Aizen glared at him. "You're pushing it..."

Gin leaned against the shelf, knocking a few things over, though he didn't seem to care enough to pick them up. "That's my job."

"You went back there..." Aizen pulled the book from the depths of his robes. Slowly, he began to flip through the pages, glancing half-heartedly on the words written on each page. "I know you did..."

Gin's smile faded momentarily, only to make a graceful comeback. "It was for good reason, Cap'n..."

"Your little lady friend still there?" he asked absently, still staring down at the book. "Stop by for a little love fest before returning to me?"

Gin frowned, his face growing dark. He had left Rangiku once again without notice of where he was going. He'd let her down once more, and he was certain she was going to hate him forever this time. If she didn't already feel that way.

"She's still there..." he answered slowly. "Though I hardly think that's any of your business..."

The book closed with a 'snap' and Aizen stared up at him. "Oh, you don't think so?"

Gin didn't answer him, knowing that this time he was in trouble. But he didn't care. He could take on Aizen if he wanted to. No one knew they were down there. Aizen wouldn't have anyone to back him up. Gin wanted to see him try.

"I think..." he stood once again. Resisting the urge to laugh, Gin wondered if he'd only sit down again in a moment. "That it is very much my business who my assistants are consorting with. If I'm not aware, it gives me weakness. And weakness is not allowed." His eyes grew dangerous as he moved toward him slowly. "You should learn that, Gin."

Gin stared back at him, the grin only returning to show that he'd gotten the picture. Nodding shortly, Aizen placed the book in Gin's hands, before moving past him toward the door.

"If you plan on returning to the Soul Society, please inform me first," he said loudly as he reached for the door. "That way you can send information you discover to me immediately. Perhaps this will work out. For the both of us."

Gin didn't plan on doing any of that, but nodded just as well, despite having Aizen's back to him.

"Oh and Gin..." Aizen stopped before leaving, his own smile dancing across his lips. "That's not my diary. I keep _that _well hidden."

GINXRANGIKU

Rangiku sat in Hitsugaya's office, staring blankly down at the small stack of papers in front of her. The words seemed to be blurring together as her eyes swam in and out of focus. Hitsugaya looked up from his desk and sighed.

"Having problems?" he asked.

Rangiku snapped out of her strange stupor and hastily began to write across the top of the nearest paper. Hitsugaya continued to stare at her for a while, finally going back to his own work.

Rangiku's pen stopped suddenly as she glanced up at the window, half-hoping she'd see Gin walking past, flashing her a reassuring smile. She hadn't been able to find him anywhere before she arrived at the office which had made her quite unsettled. She couldn't think of any other possible place for him to hide.

"Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya's voice sounded sharply.

Rangiku realized that she'd been staring out the window for far too long. She muttered an apology and went back to her writing. His gaze however, did not travel back to his own work. Instead, he stared at her intently.

"Matsumoto..." he said slowly.

"I'm working, sir..." She said, a slight annoyed edge to her voice.

"I can see that," he told her calmly. "But that's not what I meant."

Rangiku didn't bother to look up. If he was just going to harp on about something she did wrong again, or begin to talk about Gin again, she might have to strangle him. And this time, she wasn't kidding. She would really do it.

"I am apologizing, Matsumoto..." Hitsugaya said, a bit hesitantly. "So take up this rare opportunity."

Rangiku slowly glanced up at him. "What have _you _got to apologize about?"

Hitsugaya sighed. She could tell it was taking a lot out of him to admit that he'd been wrong about something. Rangiku almost relished in the fact, and smirked.

"Ichimaru has been found," he explained.

Rangiku's eyes widened and the smirk quickly faded from her face, as her jaw dropped in horror. "W-What? Where?"

Hitsugaya held his hand up for silence, trying to calm the girl. "He was never here. There were sightings of him with Aizen first thing this morning. I didn't learn about them until right before you showed up."

Rangiku stared at him, suddenly feeling very confused. Gin had been with her first thing in the morning, hadn't he? Or had this entire encounter been some strange illusion she'd created in her grief?

"I apologize for giving you a hard time," he avoided her gaze. "You were the only tie left to him, with the exception of Kira, who gave us nothing."

Rangiku nodded absently, still trying to make sense of everything in her mind. Hitsugaya turned his gaze back to her.

"Something wrong, Matsumoto?"

"No..." she lied, focusing on something Hitsugaya couldn't quite place. "No...it's nothing..."

Hitsugaya could tell that she was lying to him, but decided not to press the matter. If Ichimaru was nowhere near them, he had no reason to question her further. Certainly whatever was bothering her now had to do with something that had happened long ago, and would be none of his business.

"Sir..." Rangiku said lightly.

"Yes?" he said, his eyes still locked on her rather limp form.

"May I take the day off?"

Hitsugaya frowned, glancing down at the huge stack of papers in front of him. There was a considerably smaller stack in front of her, but he knew it would only be added to his if she left. Sighing deeply, he closed his eyes and nodded.

"Yes, Matsumoto."

Rangiku slowly got to her feet and glided over to the door. "Thank you, sir..."

**A/N:** So there we are. Hmm...some mystery being thrown around here, and definitely some conflict starting to build up. I have a few ideas coming along for possible things to happen...but I haven't quite figured it all out yet. Please tell me if there's anything you'd like to see happen, because I will definitely take it into consideration, and it will be SO helpful. Thank you! Oh and please review!


	5. The Book

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or any of the related titles. All credit goes to Tite Kubo.

**A/N:** Hey all! Here's the next chapter. Not much to say about it really. I hope you enjoy it.

**Chapter 5: The Book**

Rangiku stared out at the darkened sky, her face no brighter than the heavens before her. Her eyes were locked onto something that an onlooker would not be able to see and her expression was quite unreadable. It was more than obvious her mind was not with her, but off in a distant land, perhaps in the even darker lair of a sinister man she'd once trusted.

Sighing deeply, her head shifted, tilting to the other side as she continued to stare out before her. It wasn't until a small book appeared in front of her that she moved again.

"For you…" a voice whispered from over her shoulder.

Rangiku knocked the book aside, as well as the pale hand attached to it. "Go away…" she muttered bitterly.

She stood abruptly, moving away from the spot she'd been sitting only moments before. Gin had crouched behind her, and now watched sadly as she moved away, the book still clutched tightly in his fingers.

"Is something wrong, Rangiku?" he asked slowly, moving from his spot to follow her.

Rangiku shot him a glare, turning away sharply to move once again even further away from him. "I said, go away, Gin…"

Gin caught up with her easily, his free hand gently drawing her long hair from her neck, kissing the exposed skin. Rangiku didn't pull away this time, though she longed to with every fiber of her being.

"You don't mean that," he muttered, pulling his lips away from her neck. He held the book in front of her once again. "I brought you a present."

Rangiku stared down at the book curiously, though she didn't take it from him. She turned her head slightly, speaking to him over her shoulder.

"What is it?" she asked.

He shrugged coolly, his arms winding around her waist. "Dunno…didn't look at it…"

Rangiku placed her hands over his, pulling them away from her. Slowly, she stepped from him, leaving him once again by himself.

"You don't like it?" he asked softly as she walked away. "I thought you'd appreciate the information…"

Rangiku stopped short. "Information?" she turned to him. "What exactly is that?"

Gin grinned at her, holding the book out. "Why don't you take a peek?"

Frustrated, Rangiku stepped forward and wrenched it from his grasp, returning to her spot well away from him. Her fingers hurriedly flipped through the pages, her eyes hardly scanning the words on them as she did so.

"I see nothing important about scribbles, Gin…" she said bluntly, snapping it shut. She glared at him. "Is this your personal diary or something?"

Gin shook his head slowly, the grin unfading from his fox-like face. "Not mine…" he taunted.

Rangiku looked back down at the book, opening it slowly. This time, she managed to make out some of information written on the pages. Her eyes grew wide as she slowly brought her face back into view.

"Gin…where did you get this?" she asked breathlessly.

He didn't answer as he smiled at her, urging her to keep looking. "What's written there, love?" He cocked his head to the side. "Captain Aizen's secret recipes?"

Rangiku shook her head, hurrying back to his side, the book now closed tightly in her hand as she waved it at him furiously. "Do you have any idea what this is? D-Do you have any idea what you've-you've stumbled upon? This…this…this is incredible! Gin, you-you…"

"I know…" he smirked haughtily.

Rangiku's head moved as though it were on a hinge. "No…No, you _don't_ know! This is the very information that could lead to Aizen's downfall! I can't believe you'd be willing to risk something like this! He's going to _kill_ you if he finds out!"

Gin's smile faded quickly. "I told you…" he said. "I know." He started slowly away from her.

Rangiku followed him, catching the back of his coat. "Gin, please…"

He stopped suddenly, glancing at her over his shoulder. His usual grin had donned his face once more, only causing more pain in Rangiku's heart. "What is it, love?"

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, her eyes soft with emotion.

Gin smiled and looked away, starting away from her again, only to be tugged back. Rangiku repeated her question, her voice becoming more insistent with every syllable she spoke.

"Do you have some kind of death wish or something?" her voice shook with panic.

Gin stopped to face her. It was his turn to shake his head. "I can't say I wouldn't deserve it," he said softly. "After all I've done, Rangiku. I'm a good-for-nuthin' murderer."

"No…" she whispered. "Not to me, you're not. Perhaps to everyone else, perhaps to all those who don't really know, you are nothing but a foul, scheming, sadistic bastard, but to me, you're something different. I think you're a bastard, and I hate you with every fiber of my being, but for some reason, I still trust you. I would hand myself over to you this very minute if you asked me to. I would follow you to the ends of this world if you told me there would be a life for us there. A life other than this. I would follow you, Gin." she gave her head a little shake. "Even if my death would be the only result, I would trust you, Gin, and I would follow you."

Gin stared at her, drinking in her words, almost made dizzy by their impact on her. She'd never spoken to him quite like this before, and he wasn't sure if he liked it or not. He couldn't stay sided with Rangiku forever. They both knew that. In the end, she would not be able to follow him.

Perhaps it was only he who knew this part of it.

"You're a fool, love…" he replied, turning abruptly.

"Yes," Rangiku responded loudly, hurrying after him. "I've learned that. I am well _aware_ of that. But that's not going to stop me." She stopped, falling behind. "If you truly intended to kill me, Gin, you would have done so ages ago. You never would have let this get this far."

Gin came to a halt, her words striking him like an arrow. There were several occasions where he saw it fit to kill her. He'd been given the perfect opportunity so many times before and yet the girl remained alive, she remained with him, even when she was not physically there.

He could never bring himself to do it. Every time he'd come close, something had prevented him from moving further. Something stopped him from calling the name of his zanpaku-to.

_Shinso!_

"And you never would have given me this if you didn't think there was a chance of us overcoming this," she continued. "If you didn't think we'd be able to make it through together."

"I didn't give it to you, because of _us_, Rangiku," he said matter-of-factly, turning back to her. "_We_ had nothing to do with it. I merely wanted to do something decent for a change."

"But you said you didn't even know what this was," Rangiku pointed out. "What if it had proved to be something of no use to me? What then?"

"Then at least I would have tried and the effort would have been enough to redeem me," he answered, his smile almost mocking. "At least in my eyes it would be."

Rangiku found it ironic that Gin's eyes had become even more squinted with that comment, preventing her from seeing them. Rangiku glanced down at the book in her hand, sighing deeply.

"What is it you want me to do with this?" she asked, holding it up for him to see.

Gin's eyes relaxed as he peered down at her, his eyes falling onto the book. "Do with it what you want..." he replied quietly, his voice almost mystical. "I didn't see a thing…"

Rangiku watched as he turned away a final time and began to wander off into the distance. She called out after him, her voice raising although it was clear that they would probably be overheard if she wasn't careful.

"W-Where are you going?" She panted as she caught up with him.

"I can't stay here…" he told her, keeping his focus forward as she walked alongside him.

"Why not?" she asked, frowning.

He shook his head, the smile still not wavering. She wondered how he managed to keep it although it was clear he was disappointed.

"I've been discovered, that's why…" he turned. "I'm sorry, love…"

Without warning, he pulled her to him crushing his lips to hers. Rangiku's arms locked tightly around his neck, allowing his tongue to dance across her lips, finally entering the warm cavern. Rangiku pressed herself to him desperately, feeling vulnerable for nearly the millionth time in the past couple days. She wasn't used to this feeling, nor was she sure she enjoyed it much. It was not like a shinigami to be vulnerable. She had been taught that this was wrong. She had to fight it.

Pulling away, Rangiku pushed him from her. The book had fallen to the ground with their sudden actions and was snatched up by her as she hurried away.

"Rangiku…" Gin called after her.

"No," she protested. "Go!"

"Rangiku…" he repeated.

"Go!" she insisted. "Just…Just go!"

Nodding shortly, Gin started in the other direction. When she was certain he was gone, Rangiku turned to glance behind her. Sure enough, the pale Captain had vanished without a trance.

GINXRANGIKU

Rangiku stared down at the book in her hands. She hadn't paid any attention to the piles of paperwork lying on the desk next to her, but instead, kept her nose buried within the yellowing pages. Aizen's handwriting was difficult to make out at times, but she managed to make out a good portion of it. Her eyes glanced upward occasionally to make sure Hitsugaya had not noticed her actions.

Focusing intently on a particularly difficult passage to comprehend, Rangiku did not notice her Captain standing next to her, peering at the book curiously.

"What is that, Matsumoto?" he asked, his voice breaking her suddenly from her reverie.

Rangiku jumped, closing the book hastily. "N-Nothing. It's nothing."

"Diary?" Hitsugaya arched a fuzzy white eyebrow.

Rangiku nodded quickly. "Yes," she said. "I'm sorry. I-I got a little distracted."

She stuffed the book underneath the piles of paper, hiding it from her prying Captain's eyes. Hitsugaya didn't move from his spot.

"That didn't look like your handwriting," he pointed out.

Rangiku cursed him for having such keen eyesight, and the ability to remain silent for such long times without anyone noticing his presence. "It was…" said slowly.

"Are you sure?" he continued, as though he were trying to pry the truth from her.

"Yes," she answered. "I'm sure that I know my own handwriting…"

Hitsugaya sighed deeply, shoving his hands into his sleeves. Nodding, he moved back toward his desk, busying himself with his papers. Barely visible from behind his work, Rangiku made sure that he could not see her actions as she pulled the book out once again, slowly writing down as much as she could from it's pages.

…_at which time the Hollows will be released unto the Soul Society…_

**A/N:** Alright, so there it is. Yes, I have some things planned for the storyline of this, but if any of you have any ideas, I will present full credit in my future A/Ns to anything you provide and I choose to use. For some reason, I've been on a really bad stretch of writer's block and it's becoming increasingly harder to write these chapters. If anyone has any ideas on how to get my inspiration flowing again, those suggestions are greatly welcomed as well. Thank you all so very very much! Please review in the meantime!


	6. Found Out

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or any of the related titles. Though, sometimes I really wish I did.

**A/N:** Alrighty everyone, I've been on this major writing spree lately, so here's the next chapter. I hope you all enjoy it!

**Chapter 6: Found Out**

"Where is it?!"

The looming face of Aizen was uncomfortably close to Gin's as the pale man merely blinked back at him, unaffected by his unpredicted outburst.

"Where is what?" Gin replied coolly.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about," Aizen seethed, his usual calm air fading quickly. "It was here when I left yesterday, and now it's gone. You're the only one who knew about it!"

"Oh," Gin moved past him. "Your diary, that's right."

Aizen growled, whipping around to face Gin. "Don't test me, Gin…" he warned. "You're not that important to me, you know. I could kill you…"

Gin glanced over his shoulder at the fuming Captain, his smirk just as devilish as ever. "Then you'd never find it, now would you?"

Irritated, Aizen howled with fury, storming after the retreating Gin. "You have three seconds, Gin…" he said. "You have three seconds to tell me where you've hidden it. This isn't funny."

Gin didn't respond as he started toward the door. Aizen raised a single finger.

"One…"

Still no response.

"Two…"

Gin reached out for the doorknob. Angrily, Aizen slipped before the door, throwing his arms out to block the way. Gin blinked at him, retracting his hand hastily.

"Three." Aizen's eyes were wild with rage. "Tell me…"

Gin shrugged. "I didn't touch it," he answered.

Aizen heaved a great sigh, letting his hands fall to his sides. Slowly he pushed his glasses further up his nose. For some reason, he'd gotten back into the habit of wearing them.

"Then…" he started gradually. "Where…do you propose it is?" He spoke each word as though the syllables were steps that Gin must pay full attention to. One could almost march to the beat.

Gin grinned, turning in the other direction. There were several doors leading to that particular room. He didn't need that one. "Well, one does usually hide a diary under their pillow. Did you check there?"

"Gin, this isn't a game…" Aizen started after him, grabbing the back of his coat. With a sharp jerk, Gin's face was pulled close to his once again.

"Well, well, now, Cap'n Aizen…" Gin glanced down at their position. "Didn' know you felt this way 'bout me…"

Aizen released him quickly, throwing Gin backward as he stormed back toward his chair. "You're really starting to get on my nerves, Gin…"

"You kept me around for a reason, Cap'n…" Gin pointed out, brushing off the ruffles Aizen had made in his robes. "Not quite sure what it is, but there's gotta be somethin' you like 'bout me…"

Aizen muttered to himself, his face falling into his hands. Gin stepped forward, leering at him.

"What's that, Cap'n?" he asked. "I didn't quite catch that."

"I'm gonna kill you…" Aizen threatened.

Gin spread his arms wide, still managing to smile, even when faced with a life-or-death situation. "Go ahead. I got nothing to live for anymore."

Without warning, Aizen had drawn his zanpaku-to, the end biting into the flesh of Gin's neck. For a moment, the grin had faded, his eyes softening.

"Really gonna kill me this time, Cap'n?" he asked quietly. "Or is this yet another empty threat?"

Aizen jerked the zanpaku-to forward only a bit. Gin didn't seem to react to the piercing point. "You wanna try me this time, Gin?"

"You wouldn't do it…" Gin pointed out, his grin returning. "I know you too well, Cap'n…"

"And why wouldn't I?" Aizen hissed. "If that book is lost, I've got nothing left. Do you understand what happens if it falls into the wrong hands? We're done! Everything I've worked so hard to achieve is through. And you're a dead man."

"I've told you…" Gin replied. "I've got nothing to live for. And neither do you…"

Aizen pulled his zanpaku-to away, staring at Gin intently. The sword fell to his side as Aizen heaved a great sigh.

"You really don't understand what we're dealing with here, do you Gin?" he asked, glancing at the floor.

"It's none of my concern…" he answered, "And I can't say I really care. I'm only in it for the revenge bit…"

"We've got so much power in our hands here, Gin…" Aizen said, placing his hand on Gin's shoulder, holding his other, still accompanied by his zanpaku-to, out for Gin to see. "We could easily control the entire Soul realm…" he shook his head. "How can you think that is nothing?"

Gin didn't answer. Deep down, Gin didn't think it was important anymore. What did he want with a realm of dead people? If he couldn't stand them now, how would he be able to stand them when they were all under his control, coming to him for all their answers, helping them with all their petty problems? He shook his head, shaking the thought aside.

"Where did you put it Gin?" Aizen asked again.

Gin shrugged Aizen's hand off his shoulder, once again moving toward the door. He managed to grab the knob this time, leaving Aizen to himself.

"I told you…" Gin replied before exiting through the door. "People often keep their diaries under their pillows. You might wanna check there…"

GINXRANGIKU

"No…that doesn't make any sense…" Rangiku muttered to herself as she scribbled a few notes across a small piece of parchment. "How did he…?"

The book that Gin had left her with was propped up on the end of Rangiku's couch, accompanied by many pieces of paper spread across the fabric and crumpled on the floor. Frustrated, she sighed deeply and ripped her newest sheet of paper in half, tossing it aside. Glancing down at the spare blank, she bit the end of her pen before writing.

"…and thus when chanted…" she squinted her eyes in a most Gin-like fashion, peering at the next word. "I can't even read what that says…what the hell is a Halford?" Her eyes returned back to their normal width and she looked down at what she'd written, then back up at the book. "Hollows...Oh…" she cocked her head to the side. "How on Earth does he think that says 'Hollows'?"

"You have to try readin' it upside down…" a voice sounded from behind her. "That's what I had to do…"

Rangiku jumped from her laying position, nearly knocking over her bottle of ink. Standing behind the couch was the looming figure of Gin, his smile even more eerie in the soft candlelight.

"Don't _do_ that!" Rangiku hissed at him, pulling herself up to a sitting position.

"Do what?" Gin asked, swinging one leg over the couch as to sit down next to her. "I thought you liked surprises…"

"Not quite when they come in the form of you," she muttered bitterly, picking up her papers and piling them onto her lap. The book still lay wide open for Gin to see.

"I see you like my present…" he pointed out, gesturing toward it with a long slender finger.

Rangiku didn't look at it. "Not particularly," she responded. "It's no help to me, whatsoever." She rose to her feet, moving away from him. "I can't make heads or tails of it…"

Gin smirked, eyeing her form as she bent over to place the papers onto her small desk. "I told you to try looking at it upside down."

Rangiku glanced back at him, catching him staring at her. A faint red blush creeping into her cheeks, she moved quickly, tightening her pink robe around her. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't look at me like that, Gin…"

Gin continued to watch her. "But you usually like it," he said, sounding a bit hurt. "What's the matter now?"

"I'm tired, Gin…" she told him, stepping toward her open window, reaching for the shades.

Before she could manage to close them, his pale hand enclosed around her wrist. She could feel his warm breath dancing across her exposed neck.

"No one will see us, love…" Gin whispered, pulling her away from the window.

Rangiku resisted a little, refusing to turn to putty in his arms once again. Instead of falling backward, she forced him closer to the window. Part of her wanted to keep the possibility of being caught open, as to keep him in line. She wanted to be in control this time.

"Tell me what's wrong…" he cooed softly into her ear, his lips brushing against the tender skin gently.

"You…" she replied, her arms not moving from their captured position. "You and your disappearing, and your constant ambivalence toward…_everything_. That's what's wrong, Gin…"

He frowned slightly. "I'm not sure what you mean…"

"You can't ever make up your mind, Gin…" she explained, staring out the window at the rising moon, faded and dark against the night sky. "Sometimes I can't tell what it is you want. Me, or your promised glory with Aizen."

Gin didn't answer her. He knew the answer, but he had an image to uphold. He couldn't very well start spilling his emotions to her. It would be most uncharacteristic of him. Silence was his only friend at the moment.

"I see…" Rangiku said, pulling herself from his grasp. "Your answer is obvious…"

And his greatest enemy.

Gin turned to face her. She was moving toward her bed, showing no signs of wanting to speak to him further. Hesitantly, he stepped forward, stopping only suddenly when she seemed to sense his approach.

"Gin, stop." She ordered. "Just leave."

Gin stared at her. He didn't want to leave. Not yet at least. He waited long hours everyday, envying those short few hours he would share with her every night. He wasn't about to have those few hours wasted, was he?

"I mean it, Gin…" she growled, her head turning toward him slightly.

"If you insist…" he muttered, moving toward the door.

Rangiku didn't move from her spot. She listened to the soft shuffling noises his sandals made across her floor, only pausing for a moment as he stood before his exit. She knew he was waiting for her to say something, but she refused to open her mouth.

"Rangiku, I-" he started.

"Go," she said shortly.

Gin nodded curtly, and reached out for the door, freezing as it swung open without his help. Rangiku didn't seem to notice as Gin's eyes shot open, coming face to face with an unexpected visitor standing just outside her door.

"Good evening, Ichimaru-Taichou," the voice swept into the room like a chilling evening breeze, sending shivers down even Rangiku's spine. "I thought I'd find you here…"

Rangiku turned slowly, her hands trembling within her robe at the sight of their visitor. There was no getting out of it this time. They'd been caught and they were certainly going to be punished.

Gin's eyes relaxed as he swallowed the lump that had immediately formed in his throat when the door opened. Drawing in a slow breath, he finally found the strength to speak.

"Good evening, Hitsugaya-Taichou…" he said slowly. "It's a pleasure to see you again…"

**A/N:** Hey there all. Sorry about the cliff-hanger, but I think I'm a little worn out for the evening. I'm not sure how long this story will be, but I don't expect it to be quite as long as my normal stories. I apologize for that as well.

However, just to take care of it now, in case I don't have time in the future, THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE READ, RESPONDED, FAVORITED or ALERTED this story! I appreciate it so much!

The next update should be soon! Keep your eyes peeled!


	7. Interrogation & Decisions

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or any of the related titles.

**A/N:** Hello everyone! Despite being away at camp all this week, I have managed a few short moments on the computer, which allow for updates! Yaaay! So, if you didn't notice, I have upped the rating to M, because you seemed to be deprived of Gin-Ran-ness. This chapter, unfortunately, lacks that particular form of…Gin-Ran-ness…but it will be very much present in the next chapter, I promise!! Anyways, enough of my babbling. Please enjoy!

**Chapter 7: Interrogation & Decisions**

"Likewise, I'm sure, Ichimaru…" Hitsugaya's voice was low and taunting, however, Gin failed to flinch. "In fact, I don't believe I'll be the only one please by your sudden reappearance. In fact, I'm sure the whole Soul Society has been _dying_ to see you."

"Taichou-!" Rangiku started, stepping toward them.

Hitsugaya held out a hand to stop her. "That's enough Matsumoto. If you wish to not be charged with treason, I'd suggest you keep your mouth shut."

Before Rangiku could open her mouth a second time, Gin spoke up, agreeing with Hitsugaya, much to everyone's surprise.

"He's right, Rangiku…" he said calmly, his voice no different than it had ever been before. "T'would be a shame for you to be pulled into this when I came here on my own accord." His squinted focus was locked onto Hitsugaya's icy one.

Hitsugaya merely nodded, turning back to the door. "It would be best if the two of you followed me without struggle."

Gin faltered a bit. He was fine with him following Hitsugaya alone, for if any funny business were pulled he could easily fend off the Captain as he'd done before. But he'd already said he didn't want Rangiku involved. Why would she need to go with them?

"I would prefer to keep an eye on Matsumoto this evening," Hitsugaya explained as though he could read Gin's mind. "Just as a precaution."

This wasn't entirely a bad idea once Gin thought about it. If Aizen discovered he was missing or caught wind of his capture, Rangiku would very well be one of the people he'd go after first.

Nodding shortly, Gin followed, Rangiku at his heels. Hitsugaya led them to a long meeting hall, stopping short to tell Rangiku that he didn't need her any further.

"Stay here…" he instructed. "If anyone arrives, I want you to hide. If the situation permits it, please find shelter somewhere else."

Rangiku looked back and forth between the two Captains, unsure of what was going on. What was she in danger of? Did Hitsugaya plan on an attack this evening? Her eyes locked onto Gin, who seemed to be avoiding her gaze at all costs. Slowly, she saw him nod and turn away from her.

"Very well," she responded, bowing shortly, then disappearing into the shadows.

Hitsugaya turned to Gin, his eyes narrowing even more dangerously than before. He hardly needed to say a word for Gin to follow him to a small room at the end of the hall. Once they were inside, Hitsugaya locked the door firmly.

"Cozy…" Gin noted mockingly.

"What are you doing here?" Hitsugaya asked, turning to face him finally.

Gin raised his eyebrows, leaning against a nearby table. "I would have thought that obvious, Hitsugaya-Taichou…"

Hitsugaya stared at him, expecting a clearer answer, for it was most unobvious to him why an ex-Captain would return to the place where several had put a price on his head.

"I missed my friends…" he answered slowly, though this had not been the real answer.

Hitsugaya grew irritated. "Ichimaru, this is no time for your games…"

Gin raised his eyebrows innocently. "Games?" he said. "I see no games. Do you doubt my honesty, Cap'n?"

Hitsugaya didn't need to answer that, for Gin already knew that he was perhaps the one person who trusted him least. Sighing, Hitsugaya moved away from the door, his arms still folded under his long sleeves.

"I hope you understand the penalty of finding you here, Ichimaru…" he said slowly, moving in a circle around Gin. "After your antics with Aizen-Taichou…"

"Antics?" Gin repeated, following the small Captain with his semi-gaze. "Would you call them antics?"

Hitsugaya glared at him for only a moment before continuing with his pacing. "I could do one of two things for you, however, they both turn out rather unfortunate on your end."

Gin didn't respond, suddenly curious as to why he'd decided not to gather any of the other Captains to help him. Was Hitsugaya going to let him off?

"I could accuse you, and you only, on grounds most obvious…" Hitsugaya started. "Where you would receive the highest penalty-"

"I'm not sure I-" Gin butt in.

"Let me finish!" Hitsugaya snapped. "However, if you choose to be cooperative, and reveal us information about Aizen's whereabouts, your sentence could be dulled a bit."

"And the second choice?" Gin asked hesitantly.

"I accuse both you and Matsumoto of treason, where, no matter how much information you pass on, you will both receive the highest penalty…" Hitsugaya said briefly, no hint of sympathy flashing in his eyes.

It was more than cruel. How could he possibly think Gin would even consider letting Rangiku face that sort of punishment, especially over something that had been entirely his fault in the first place?

"Had enough time to think about it?" Hitsugaya asked, turning to face him finally. "Or are you still considering your options."

"What exactly would be my punishment once information was given?" Gin asked, his voice low.

Hitsugaya shook his head. "I'm afraid that is not for me to decide. It could very well be the same punishment, or something worse, if _they_ decide, but one would hope they'd at least let you off a little."

"And what if I've already provided you with enough information to take down Cap'n Aizen and his whole team…" Gin suggested.

Hitsugaya gave a half-hearted laugh. "Oh really now?"

Gin nodded shortly, giving no further vocal assurance.

"And where is this information?" Hitsugaya asked, suddenly curious.

Gin shrugged, "Not sure if I'm gonna tell ya…" His voice had suddenly returned to its playful tone. "Do you think ya deserve it after locking me up like this?"

Hitsugaya pulled his zanpaku-to from his hip, placing it against Gin's neck. Gin barely looked threatened, nor did he make any move to unsheathe Shinso.

"Do you really think you have a choice in the matter?" Hitsugaya hissed through grit teeth.

"You're taking this all very personally, Cap'n…" Gin teased. "Something got you all hot under the collar? Things not all right with your little friend Hina-"

Hitsugaya's zanpaku-to moved dangerously close to Gin's neck as he glared up at him fiercely. "How dare you speak of her as though nothing happened?! She's lucky to be alive thanks to you!"

Gin laughed. "I don't recall that being any of my fault. It was all Cap'n Aizen's doing, if I remember correctly."

"But you played a part in it, Ichimaru…" Hitsugaya snarled. "Don't deny it."

Gin frowned, though they both knew his grin would be back momentarily. His face looked blank without it. "I'm past denial, Cap'n…no need for it anymore…"

"Then why the hell are you-?" Hitsugaya started roughly.

In a small flash, the blade of Shinso rest gently against the skin of Hitsugaya's neck. "I would be careful where you point your zanpaku-to, Cap'n…" Gin warned, the corners of his lips turning up in a jeering smirk. "You don't want to go blamin' the wrong person…"

"Lower your weapon…" Hitsugaya ordered.

"And why, may I ask…" Gin started slowly, raising himself to a standing position, looming over Hitsugaya's short stature. "Should I listen to you?"

Hitsugaya opened his mouth. "Because I-"

"Because there's no one else here to defend you?" Gin sneered, glancing up at the securely fastened door. "Because you thought you could handle me yourself, without the help of other Cap'ns?" Gin slowly shook his head. "And what if I fought back, what then? Rangiku is the only one standin' outside that door, and do you really think she'll side with you at a time like this? At a time where you were just considerin' sendin' her to the gallows without a second thought?" Gin stepped forward, causing the small Captain to falter back a bit. "And if Cap'n Aizen shows up, much like you were expectin', who will he side with then? You think you can face Cap'n Aizen all on your lonesome?"

Hitsugaya was a bit frightened, but wasn't about to show it. He would take them all on if he had to. He'd fight each and every one of them, and die a hero's death if the time called for it.

But hopefully, there would be no need for that. He knew something Gin didn't. Luckily, the man's eyes had been so tightly squinted shut on their jaunt over there, he did not notice the black butterfly that they'd come across; the one that swooped away toward the quarters of the other Captains and Vice-Captains.

"No…" Hitsugaya growled, regaining his footing. "But I can take you on, Ichimaru…" he threatened. "I've done it before."

"And if I beat you?" Gin asked, his grin becoming even more sadistic as their conversation continued. "What then? Should I kill you and get I over with?"

"That's not going to happen…" Hitsugaya replied, his ears catching the sound of shuffling feet outside the door.

"And why is that?" Gin stepped closer.

"GET HIM!"

The door behind him flew open as several officers, Captains and Vice-Captains soared into the room. A good number of them took hold of Gin as Shinso fell to the ground. Gin struggled only after the initial attack, but finally grew limp in their arms. Smirking, he let them know he had no intention of making a scene from the beginning.

"Thank you, Hitsugaya-Taichou…" A large officer said, bowing before the ruffled Captain. "I'm sure everyone will be pleased to know you've found him…"

Hitsugaya nodded shortly. "Yes. But please…" his eyes lingered for a moment on the captured Gin. "Do not kill him."

Gin looked at him quickly. He had not quite been expecting this. 'The highest penalty', hadn't that been what he'd said only moments ago?

"Lock him up for now," Hitsugaya instructed. "Let his fate be decided later."

The officers nodded shortly, dragging Gin from the room, though they hardly needed to for the man nearly skipped his way out. Hitsugaya watched until the large symbol of the Third Company had disappeared from his sight. It had only been gone for a moment before it appeared once again, this time in a much smaller form.

"What are they going to do to him?" a small voice asked.

Hitsugaya looked up into the fair face of Kira Izuru, who seemed to be watching his Captain being led away like some mournful puppy dog. Hitsugaya couldn't help but feel sickened by Kira's undaunting loyalty to the bastard of a Captain.

"I'm not sure, Kira…" he answered honestly, trying to keep his answers as un-blunt as possible. Kira was sensitive. Everyone knew that.

"It's alright, Kira…" another voice butt in to his left. Hitsugaya's eyes fell onto the tiny form of Hinamori. Her hand landed on Kira's arm. "Come with me…" She didn't bother to look back at Hitsugaya as she led the shaking Vice-Captain to the door.

"Momo!" Hitsugaya called after her, once many of the others had disappeared, chattering loudly about their latest capture. She turned suddenly, looking quite frightened herself.

"Yes?" she asked, her voice no higher than a delicate whisper.

Hitsugaya cleared his throat uncomfortably. He hadn't seen Momo like this in quite a while and it bothered him. Had he done something that had upset her? Was she angry with him, or just bothered by the whole Ichimaru situation? Shaking his head, he told himself that he hardly had the time to deal with this now.

"You will find Matsumoto hiding in the shadows at the end of the hall," he explained. "I told her to hide in case anyone were to show up. If she is not there, it is your duty to uncover her location and guide her safely back to my office. Neither of you are to leave until I return, you understand?"

Momo nodded shortly, turning back to Kira, his arm still held firmly in her grasp. Hitsugaya sighed deeply, glancing around the empty room he'd been left in, no sign of a single officer left. In the distance he could hear Momo's faint calls of "Rangiku-san!" and Kira's helping faint voice echoing hers "Rangiku-san!"

Something wasn't quite right anymore. He couldn't quite place it but a strange feeling had washed over him, making him quite uncomfortable.

Why on Earth did he suddenly feel like he'd made the wrong choice?

**A/N:** So there it is. Hitsugaya's feeling guilty. I feel bad making him look like such an ass in this chapter, but…I dunno, sometimes he can be, and I can't imagine him acting any different in this sort of situation. I mean, come on. You've seen the show and read the book. Would Hitsugaya _honestly_ let Gin go free after all that he'd done? I don't think so. One would hope, but hey, I'm trying to be realistic here.

Anyways, like I said, look forward to some awesome Gin-Ran-ness in the next chapter. I know you've all been waiting oh-so-patiently for it, so I've decided to give in and give you what you want. There may be some more definite hints of MomoxHitsugaya stuff too…cause I think that pairing's just adorable…but yeah, those will be in the upcoming chapters as well.

I'd like to thank all of you who have reviewed so far. If I don't get the chance to reply to your review, know that I am thankful for each and every one I receive! I am going to try and do my best to respond to them in the near future. Thanks again!


	8. The Lost Book

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Bleach or any related titles.

**A/N:** Hey everyone! I apologize for the lack of updates in ages, but I've been really really busy lately, and it's made updating rather difficult. Now that most things are out of the way, I can get back to my stories, so thank you all so very much for being patient. And please enjoy!

**Chapter 8: The Lost Book**

The graceful arc that was Rangiku's bowed head became a sight more common over the next few days. There was a rare moment when Hitsugaya would walk into the office to see Rangiku without her head down, eyes focused on a small book he'd yet to get his hands on. It bothered him, more than he'd even let on. It ate away at him, his curiosity tearing him to shreds. He had to get his hands on that book she seemed to hold so dearly.

But every plan seemed to be foiled before he even had the chance to get close. Being as quiet as possible, he'd attempt to glance at the pages over her shoulders, only to meet her glaring eyes face to face as she slammed it shut. And if she were to fall asleep, which happened on many occasions, the small leather-bound item was snuggled comfortably within her bosom, a place much too dangerous for the likes of Hitsugaya to even dare endeavor.

No. He would have to catch her off guard. Send her off to fetch a few papers for him, perhaps? Unfortunately, he'd already tried that. The beautiful woman left the room with the book tucked securely under her arm.

Muttering angrily to himself, Hitsugaya went back to his work, forming plans in his mind. Slowly, an idea struck him and he lifted his head to peer at his Lieutenant whom had already buried herself deeply into the book.

"Matsumoto!" he said sharply.

The book nearly fell from her hands as she jumped at the abrupt sound of his voice.

"Yes, Hitsugaya-Taichou?" she asked politely.

He held a hand outstretched, his cold blue eyes lingering on her wide brown ones. "Give me the book," he ordered.

Rangiku blinked back at him, holding the book closer to her. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he said calmly, his eyes failing to close even for a moment. "Hand it over."

Rangiku shook her head only to be cut off shortly by Hitsugaya's voice once again, this time a bit more impatient.

"You heard me, Matsumoto!" he growled. "Give me that book!"

When she didn't respond, Hitusugaya rose to his feet in hopes of making himself more intimidating, but only succeeding in adding about two inches onto his height.

"Do you dare defy an order, Matsumoto?" his eyes flashed dangerously. "There are serious punishments for that, you know..."

Rangiku stared at him, unsure of what to do. Her lips were sealed firmly together, creating a small line to prevent her from saying anything she'd more than likely regret in the future. She couldn't just hand the book over. She wasn't sure if she wanted to yet, nor had she discovered everything the book had to offer. She needed more time. If she gave it to him, she'd never know why Gin gave it to her.

And what would happen to Gin if the pages revealed something terrible? If Hitsugaya could trace it back to him, then he'd be headed straight for the gallows with no chance of being spared. Rangiku couldn't possibly bear to see something like that happen. Especially when she was almost certain he had finally had the best of intentions.

"Do I need to count to three, Matsumoto?" Hitsugaya asked, staring at her like she was some kind of child, though an onlooker would have seen quite the reverse by their appearances.

Rangiku's gaze remained hard as the grip she had on the book became tighter. She could feel sweat forming beneath her fingers as she began to tremble.

"One..." Hitsugaya's voice resonated in her ears, but still she did not move. "Two..." he added after a brief pause. "Thr-"

Rangiku's hand shot out, the book extended toward his outstretched palm. Her eyes were still focused on his, competing with his for dominance. For a moment, Hitsugaya did not move. He felt as though this were some kind of game Rangiku was playing with him and as soon as he reached for the book, she would pull it away.

But pull away, she did not. Instead she stood and placed the book into his hands roughly, towering over him once again. He took it from her and slowly opened to the first page. His eyes finally left hers to scan the scribbled words, his fuzzy eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"What is this?" he asked, unable to make out many of the words.

Rangiku shrugged, crossing her arms defiantly. "You wanted to read it..."

"But how?" he asked, flipping through a few more pages, still only able to catch a word or two here and there. "How am I supposed to read this?"

Rangiku shrugged once again, this time moving toward the doorway. It was no longer her problem.

Turning to glance at him over her shoulder, she gave him a smirk quite uncharacteristic of her, "I'd suggest reading it upside down..."

GINXRANGIKU

"Good evening, Rangiku..."

The shadows fell across his pale face, hiding the familiar grin from her view as she stood on the other side of the bars. Her delicate fingers wound around the metal as she tilted her head against them, peering at the man crumpled on the floor.

"The book's gone..." she said softly.

He turned his head slightly to get a better look at her. "Come again?" he asked, chuckling lightly. "Musta heard you wrong, love. I thought you said my book was missing..."

"The book was yours?" Rangiku stared at him curiously. The handwriting had not been his, she was sure of it. She'd seen it numerous times. No, the handwriting could not have been his.

"Coulda been," Gin answered, shifting himself to a more comfortable position. "And now you've gone and lost it. Guess you'll never know..."

"Stop playing games, Gin..." Rangiku said, her voice nothing more than a hushed whisper. The guards would surely hear her if she wasn't careful. "I know the book wasn't yours..." She lifted her head. "And I didn't lose it. I gave it to Hitsugaya-Taichou."

"You gaveit to him?" Gin's voice had changed suddenly, no longer retaining that mysterious tone he was well-known for.

"Yes..." she answered calmly, turning her back to him to lean against the bars.

"You _gave _it to him?!" Gin's voice was right behind her this time as he loomed over her shoulder. "After all I went through to get it? You just _handed _it over?"

She felt his long fingers close around her through as his thin arm slid through the bars. For some strange reason, she no longer felt threatened by this form of touching. She knew he could never go through with such threats that accompanied that particular gesture.

"I oughta kill you, you know..." his voice drawled, his lips barely brushing the tip of her ear. "Do you know what I went through to get that book? Do you know what kinds of secrets that book contains? In the wrong hands, love...it could lead to your end as well..."

"I'm not afraid..." she whispered, her head turned toward the sound of his voice. "Not anymore..." She shook her head, feeling his fingers slip away just a bit. "Especially not of you..."

His head leaned against hers briefly and she could feel his soft breath on her ear. She had missed that, but could have done without the cold, damp surroundings. She missed feeling close to him. Missed the sound of his voice in the early morning hours. Missed the smell of him on her skin hours after he'd left.

"_Something wrong, love?" his voice was soft and low as he moved toward her. _

_A strange chill ran up her spine at the sound of his voice. Lately it had been causing such reactions more frequently and she could do nothing to stop them. She shook her head quickly and moved toward the desk, busying herself with one of the many books stacked atop it._

"_You're awful tense..." he whispered, standing just behind her, his hand trailing up the side of her arm lightly. "You shouldn't be so tense, love...it's only me..."_

_She didn't respond as his hand continued upward, pulling her long hair from her neck. The chills returned as his thin lips pressed to the soft skin, his breath dancing along it lightly._

"_It's only me..." he whispered._

_Rangiku sighed lightly as she felt his arm wrap about her waist. The book fell from her hands with a soft clatter on the desk as his mouth continued to make small circles along her neck. _

"_Gin..." she breathed._

"_Mmm..." he grinned widely, turning her around to face him, his arms still locked around her waist. "S'my name..."_

"_I know..." she whispered back, her mouth hovering just above his. _

_It took longer than she expected to finally move forward, taking his lips into hers, kissing him deeply. Her fingers moved up his arms, twisting into his silver locks. Though her eyes were closed tightly, she couldn't help but peek them open for a moment to peer at the look on his face. She was rather stunned to find that at that precise moment, Gin's eyes had flickered open as well._

"_Can I have you?" he asked, his eyes remaining open for the longest time Rangiku had ever witnessed. She wanted to continue staring into them, in hopes that he would keep them open forever._

"_Forever..." she replied, pulling herself closer to him._

_He kept his eyes open as he reached for the pale pink sash that tied about her waist, pulling it away from her. She let her hands fall to her sides, the robe falling apart. When his hands stopped moving, she finally brought her own back up to pull away the signature white robe of Division Three. _

_Taking a deep breath, she braced herself to feel his fingers move across her bared chest. Though she constantly flaunted the most prominent part of her body, she was quite shy about it when it really came down to things, and she was certain she could never had imagined herself being here, with Gin, allowing him to touch her in such a way. _

_It was crazy how fast things seemed to be moving, and at the very same time, the whole world seemed to have stopped for the two of them. Before she knew it, she found herself pinned beneath him, her hands grabbing at the back of his neck, his arms, chest, back, every single inch of skin she could possibly reach. Her heart was beating wilder than she'd ever imagined possible and her breath grew shorter with every gasp and cry she gave out. _

"_Forever..."_

"I miss it too, love..." he whispered, as though he could read her very thoughts. His hand slipped down from her neck and rest just above her chest, his breathing still echoing through her ears. "Get that book back. For both our sakes..."

**A/N:** Sooo...I hope you guys enjoyed that little bit of GinxRan-ness, and once again I thank you all for being so very patient. I really really hope to update soon, so keep your eyes peeled. This time I PROMISE!! Thank youuuu!


	9. Lost in Translation

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Bleach or any of it's related titles. All credit goes to Tite Kubo.

**A/N:** I'm aliiiiiiiiive! Haha. I am SO sorry for keeping you guys waiting, but with graduation and all those such things that had been going on, I really had NO time for writing. Well, fanfiction writing that is. The only writing I was doing was speech and essay writing. Blah. Icky stuff. So now I'm back to the good stuff, and I think I'm gonna stop writing now, cause nobody ever really reads these, and you're probably too excited about the chapter to even care, sooooo…please enjoy! (In case you didn't notice, I've had quite a bit of sugar and very little sleep, so I'm a little hyper at the moment…haha.)

**Chapter 9: Lost in Translation**

Rangiku stepped into her Captain's office the next morning, only to find Hitsugaya still sitting at his desk, the small book in his hands. His eyes were focused on the script, and she could only begin to wonder if he'd discovered how to decode the almost illegible handwriting.

"Good morning, Matsumoto," he said without looking up from the book.

Rangiku stopped in her tracks, unsure of how he knew of her presence. "Good morning, Hitsugaya-Taichou…" she said hesitantly.

"Your work is waiting for you on your desk…" he said slowly, turning one of the pages. "I suggest you start on that immediately."

Rangiku didn't dare protest and settled herself at her desk, carefully picking up the first parchment. She began writing, looking up at her Captain every so often to see if he was looking at her, but he didn't seem to even blink as he flipped through the pages of the book.

"Have you found anything yet?" she finally asked, trying to sound more calm than she felt.

Hitsugaya didn't look up. "Do you expect me to find something in here, Matsumoto?"

"N-No," she answered hastily. "There's nothing…really in there…just a bunch of gibberish…I'll take it back when you're finished with it…"

Hitsugaya didn't respond.

"Is…Is that alright?" she asked, raising her voice a little. Perhaps he had not heard her.

"I'm afraid not, Matsumoto," he responded, looking closer at what seemed to be a small diagram at the top of the newest page.

"Why not?" she pressed on. "It's just a diary. That's all."

"I'm not finished with it, that's why not, Matsumoto," he answered shortly.

"Oh…" Rangiku looked down. "Well…when you're finished…"

"I'm afraid not," he repeated, finally looking up from his work.

Rangiku looked down quickly, pretending to busy herself with her own papers. She didn't want to make eye contact with him at the moment. For some reason, it always made her feel vulnerable. He had this funny way of seeing right through people, no matter what kind of walls that person had built.

Hitsugaya shook his head and sighed heavily. "Matsumoto, this book contains information that could save the entire Soul Society from destruction…" he stared at her with the very eyes she feared. The ones she was certain were reading her thoughts.

_Kittens. Sunsets. Pink. Boobs. Girly stuff._

She did everything she could to throw him off.

Just in case, of course.

"You know that just as well as I do," he said, finally standing up from his chair, not appearing much taller than he was before. "And it would be a lot easier for me, if you'd tell me how you managed to get your hands on this…"

Rangiku refused to answer him honestly. "I found it."

"You found it?" Hitsugaya raised a bushy eyebrow. "You _found _this?"

"Yes," she answered quickly.

He stood at the front of her desk, looking down at her bent head. "Matsumoto, I know you're lying to me. And you don't have to tell me where you got it, because I already know. I just wanted to see how willing you were to cooperate…"

She finally looked up, nearly taking him out in the process. Hitsugaya stood back and crossed his arms, sliding his hands into his sleeves, as though this would make him look more threatening.

"Matsumoto, I know that you did not simply find the diary of Aizen Sosuke lying around…" his eyes were fixed on hers.

"I-Is that what that is?" Rangiku tried to play it cool. She wasn't entirely sure if that had been what it was, honestly. She knew it belonged to Aizen, but what it was exactly, she wasn't sure. For all they knew, it could have been some kind of recipe-book. Perhaps Aizen liked to bake cherry pies in his free time. Who were they to judge?

"Did Ichimaru give this to you?" he ignored her question, his eyes now flashing dangerously.

"I-Ichimaru-Taichou?" Rangiku shook her head ferociously. "No…no certainly not…"

"No?" Hitsugaya didn't believe her and it was obvious, but he wanted to hear it from her first. "No? Ichimaru Gin did not give this to you during one of your secret rendezvous'?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Rangiku looked away quickly, anger building from the bottommost pit of her stomach. Hitsugaya had touched a nerve.

"Don't lie to me, Matsumoto," he warned. "Lying will get you nowhere but a cell just like Ichimaru's. You could be executed, just as they're planning for him. Is that what you want?"

Rangiku's heart sank. She knew this was going to be his fate. She knew it. She had been telling him, had been warning him, all along and now it was too late. There was nothing she could do, or she would face the very same.

"No, Hitsugaya-Taichou…" she bowed her head.

"I could do it, you know…" he said, his mouth turned downward menacingly. "I could hand you over along with this book, and have it all be done with. All taken out of my hands."

She nodded. "I know…"

"I didn't ask for this," he continued. "I didn't want to have to be put in this kind of situation. You brought this onto yourself, Matsumoto, and now I'm in a very difficult position…"

"Gomen, Hitsugaya-Taichou…" Rangiku was truly sorry. She had never intended to drag her Captain into this either. If he turned her over, she wouldn't blame him in the least.

"And that's why I'm not going to turn you in…" he said slowly.

Her head shot upward, stunned by what he had just said. "You're not?" she narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

"Because," he continued calmly. "You're more important to me than you are to them, and this way, I'm sure we can handle this without causing a huge uproar…"

Rangiku nodded. He certainly had a point. If she were handed over, along with Aizen's diary, the whole Soul Society would be up in arms. Two Soul Reapers would be executed, and the threat of Aizen would be rampant once again, and that was the last thing they needed, just as things were starting to calm down a little.

"Who else knows about this?" Hitsugaya pulled the book from his sleeve. Apparently he had held it with him the entire time.

"The book?" Rangiku stared at it, as though it were the most precious item she'd ever laid eyes on. "N-Nobody…well, Ichimaru-Taichou…but other than that, nobody…"

"Does anyone else know that you and Ichimaru have had contact?" he pressed on, starting to move away from her, back toward his desk.

"…Izuru…" she said hesitantly. She didn't want to drag Kira into this as well, but perhaps it was for the best. Hitsugaya would make sure Kira was kept safe.

Hitsugaya looked up. "Izuru knows?"

"Ichimaru was his Captain…" Rangiku justified herself. "He had the right to know. He was concerned."

"It would be best if Izuru knew nothing…" Hitsugaya sighed and shook his head. "He is a danger to us. In battle he is useful…at times. But the man cannot keep his head. With little torture, he will give away any valuable secret he knows."

Rangiku looked concerned. "You believe that he will be tortured?"

"Aizen will certainly know if his diary is missing," Hitsugaya snapped the book shut. "Wouldn't _you_ notice? And wouldn't _you_ go looking for it? Especially if it held some great secret?" he stepped back toward her, his eyes wide and unblinking once again. "And wouldn't _you_ do anything in your power to get it back, no matter who got into your way?"

"You think Aizen will dare to come back to the Soul Society?" a small crinkle began to form in Rangiku's forehead. She hadn't intended for Aizen to return either. Things were certainly turning for the worst.

"What's stopping him?" Hitsugaya shrugged. "And who? We couldn't stop him before, what makes now any different? And he has more help on his side than we even know about." His eyes locked onto hers once again. "That is…everyone except you."

Rangiku jumped as the book was tossed into her lap. She looked up at her Captain, quite confused. "Hitsugaya-Taichou, what-?"

"You're the only one who can read that thing…" he said matter-of-factly. "I've been staring at it since I managed to get it from you, and I'll been able to determine is that it belongs to Aizen, and that I did from his handwriting. After working with him for as long as we have, anyone could recognize that…" he shook his head, clearly quite annoyed. "And I believe I saw the word 'Hollow', somewhere, but I could be wrong."

Rangiku nodded. "I read a passage about the Hollows too…"

"If Aizen has the Hollows on his side…" Histugaya said loudly. "In short, we're screwed. But we're not out of the game yet. As long as we don't go into this whole thing blind, we still have a fighting chance. And that's where you come in…"

"Me?" Rangiku yelped. "What on Earth can I do? I got us into this whole mess, didn't I?"

"Yes, but you're going to translate that, and you're going to help us come up with a plan…" Hitsugaya started to sound annoyed by Rangiku's unwillingness to cooperate.

Rangiku fell silent and began to absently flip through the pages. There were tons of them, and Aizen's handwriting was so tiny. It would take her weeks, months even to translate all of it, if she could even translate it in the first place. Hitsugaya was taking a shot in the dark with this one.

"Tell me that, by 'us', you mean more than just the two of us…" she stared at him. "Right?"

"Three of us, actually…" he corrected her.

"Hitsugaya-Taichou, let's not bring Izuru into-…" she looked worried.

Hitsugaya held up a hand to silence her. "Not Izuru…"

"Then…" Rangiku shook her head. "Who?"

GINXRANGIKU

"Rangiku?"

Her face appeared between the shadows as she stared at him, her heart beating wildly beneath her heaving bosom. The small book was lucky to still be alive in her writhing hands. It was late and she shouldn't have been there. One wrong move and she'd be caught, landing her right behind those very bars.

"Gin, I need your help…" she said slowly. "Can you translate this for me?"

She held the book out through the bars toward the slumped man, who almost immediately sprang to life at the very sight of it. His trademark smile glowed in the midnight moonlight, causing a sense of relief to wash over her. He was starting to act like his old self again.

"Fantastic. You got it back…" he grinned and flipped through the pages playfully, leaning back against the wall. "Sure thing, love…come back tomorrow…"

**A/N:** I hope you guys enjoyed that last chapter. Things are going to start to heat up soon, in both a good and bad way, so please staaaaay tuned. Oh and please review. I'd like to know what you guys think so far…and if you have any ideas as to what you'd like to see happen in this story. Thanks a lot you guys!


	10. Mission Impossible

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Bleach or any of the related titles.

**A/N:** I am exhausted…but I quit my job…so the good thing is, I can sleep in, and stay up later writing my fics…I'm sorry this AN isn't longer, but my bed is calling me. I hope you enjoy it.

**Chapter 10: Mission Impossible**

The night rolled on and Gin found himself falling asleep upon the very book he was supposed to be translating. Despite the loud commotion going on at the gates to the prison, Gin failed to stir, even when the intruder stood just beyond the bars of his cell.

"Ichimaru…"

Gin's mouth twitched slightly as his pink tongue passed across the corner of his mouth. He seemed to be having a pleasant dream as his character smile danced across his lips and he moaned softly.

"Ichimaru!" the voice sounded a bit more urgently.

Frustrated with their inability to wake the sleeping Gin, the visitor slammed their hand against the wall, causing the whole prison to shake. Gin woke abruptly, though he didn't appear to be greatly disturbed by the small earthquake.

"Wha-?" he looked around, and froze when he saw the dark figure outside his cell. "Come for a nightly chat, Ran-chan?" his smile was apparent as he moved into the moonlight streaming through a high window.

His visitor didn't reply, however, but instead moved into the light as well, revealing a young, male face.

"I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else, Gin…"

Gin tried to hide his shock, slipping the book behind him as subtly as possible. Unfortunately, Aizen spotted it before he had completely hidden it.

"Ah, that's where that is…" he reached through the bars to pull the book from Gin's grasp. "I've been wondering where that went. And you told me you didn't know where it was."

"I didn't…" Gin replied calmly. "At the time. Someone from the Soul Society brought it to me while I was in here. Askin' me to translate it for 'em…"

He wasn't entirely lying.

"Who?" Aizen flipped through the pages, as if he were checking to see if all the pages were accounted for. "Your precious Ran-chan?"

Gin stiffened, looking up at Aizen, who seemed more interested in the book than his companion. "No…" he answered. "And she's not my 'precious' anythin', Cap'n…"

"Oh no?" Aizen raised his eyebrows, finally closing the book with a snap, satisfied with his inspection. "Why is it I don't believe you?"

"I was usin' her to get to the other Cap'ns…" he explained. "She's got Hitsugaya…"

"Ah," Aizen nodded, "Very true…very true…"

Gin grinned wider, secretly due to the fact that Aizen seemed to believe him. At least for a few seconds. Aizen sighed deeply and 

leaned against a nearby wall, sliding the book into one of his pockets.

"But if that were the only reason you were still here, I don't think you would have been so foolish as to get yourself caught…" Aizen eyed him suspiciously. "However, if you're eyes were blinded by say…ohhh, bright red hair, you'd be more apt to be caught, now wouldn't you?"

"I'm 'fraid I dunno what you're talkin' 'bout, Cap'n…" Gin said. "There's nothin' between me n' the girl…"

"I have a hard time believing that, Gin…" he moved toward the bars, peering down at the prisoner inside with very little pity in his eyes. For a moment, Gin had a funny feeling Aizen wasn't there to let him go.

"How'd ya get in here," he asked trying to change the subject. "Lot's o' guards. Couldn'ta took 'em on all by your lonesome, Cap'n…"

"And why not?" Aizen eyed him, looking a bit offended. "They were a piece of cake. I can handle anything, Gin, it'd be smart of you to remember that…" he squatted down to Gin's level to peer at him. "And I don't need you. You might want to remember that to."

Gin didn't respond. He knew Aizen could do without him, and could kill him on the spot if he wanted to, but he certainly hoped the Captain wouldn't. He needed to get back to Rangiku when he got the chance. Unfortunately, if he were let out, he was sure Aizen would keep him under observation.

"How much of my book did you read, Gin?" Aizen asked curiously.

Gin shook his head. "Can't read your handwritin', Cap'n. Chicken scratch, s'what it is…might wanna work on that…"

Aizen raised an eyebrow. "So you didn't read any of it…"

"Couldn't…" Gin shrugged. "I've been tryin'…couldn't get a word of sense outta it…"

Aizen nodded and rose to full height. "Good…like I told you, Gin, it's personal and I don't like people going through my stuff. It's a wonder someone from the Soul Society got a hold of it in the first place…without any help…" Once again he looked at Gin with great suspicion, though Gin showed no signs of cracking.

"I'm going to trust you, Gin…" he said finally. "I'm not a trusting man, but I'm going to trust you this time, because I know you well enough to know you're not a fool. If you were to do anything more against me, I'd have no choice but to kill you, and you know that. I'm sure you won't defy me again."

Gin stared at him blankly, unsure of how to respond to what Aizen was saying. He would most likely defy Aizen again, but the Captain didn't need to know that now. Or perhaps he already knew that, and was luring Gin into some kind of trap. At the moment, the prisoner was unsure of which it would turn out to be.

"I'm going to release you from your cell," Aizen informed him. "But you are not to return to me until you find out all the information the Soul Society has on me and my plans…"

Gin nodded shortly, agreeing to the mission he was determined to never complete. He could come up with a good enough cock-and-

bull story to tell Aizen upon his return. He'd done so on many occasions before.

"Use your precious Ran-chan to your advantage…" Aizen instructed. "Not all of her brains are in her breasts…I'm sure of it. She's smart as a whip."

Gin couldn't help but scoff. He loved his Ran-chan, but sometimes she was a few apples short of a tree. She wasn't stupid, by any means, just a little tactless when it came to some things.

"Just do it, Gin," Aizen had no intention to hang around any longer. "I intend to see you back in my presence before the week is out. Do you understand?"

Gin nodded again, remaining silent as Aizen gripped one of the bars on his cell.

"Good…"

With a slight clench of his fist, Aizen managed to pull the bars from their frame, allowing Gin freedom. Before Gin could step out into the moonlight of the hall, Aizen had disappeared, and Gin was left alone to decide his next move.

Spotting the crumpled, bloody guards at the end of the hall, it wasn't hard to decide that the first thing he'd do was get out of there. As quickly as possible.

GINXRANGIKU

"Mornin' sunshine…"

Rangiku nearly fell out of her bed as she opened her eyes to a pale face hovering above hers. Realizing who it was that the face belonged to, she leapt to her feet, covering herself quickly with the sheets, though she really had no need to do so.

"Gin!" she yelped, then lowered her voice, realizing that there could be others listening outside her room. "What are you doing here?"

"What? No good mornin' in return?" he asked, looking a bit hurt.

"I thought you were-" Rangiku pointed in the vague direction of the prison, which she suddenly realized was up in arms.

She raced toward the window to see what was going on. Several Soul Reapers seemed to be checking the premises, a full investigation going on. She shook her head slowly, realizing what must have happened.

"Gin…" her voice shook. "Gin, tell me you didn't-"

"I didn't," he said calmly, staring at the back of her head as she watched the activity outside in horror.

She turned to face him suddenly, looking terrified. "You realize they're going to come here looking for you, right?" She moved back toward him. "You know I'm marked down as suspect in regards to Aizen's plans, right? They all think I'm on his side too!"

Gin laughed. "They're morons if they think that!"

"They're morons who could very well kill me, Gin…" she said, moving toward him. "I hope you realize that!"

"Calm down, Ran-chan…" he grinned at her and took her hands, slowly wrapping them around his waist. "They're not going to find us…I promise. Not yet, at least."

As Rangiku went to retort, her lips were caught in what could have been a gentle kiss, if Gin hadn't been locked up in a cell for the past couple of days. He'd longed for her desperately, and was taking advantage of any time he had with her between now and when he returned to Aizen, which would be a lot sooner than he had hoped.

Leaning her backward, Gin's lips travelled down her neck, sucking at the tender skin and leaving tiny playful red marks. He smirked at his work and looked back up at her now very foggy eyes. He hadn't been the only one who had missed that.

"You shouldn't be here…" she said breathily. "If you escaped, here would be the first place they'd check…you know that…"

Gin nodded. "Typically, yes. But they're not stupid, Rangiku…" he kissed the side of her neck again. "And they know I'm certainly not stupid. Seeing as this would be the first place I'd probably go, I'd know that here would be the place they'd check first, and since they know that I know they'd check here first, this would be the most unlikely place I'd be…in their opinion…"

Rangiku's head was swimming. Gin had a way of speaking that made anything sound good, even when you didn't have a clue what he'd just told you. He could tell you he was going to kill your puppy, and you'd do nothing but smile and nod in agreement.

"So I figure," Gin continued. "I've got a little time before they realize that I might be onto their plan, and be here after all." He kissed 

down her chest, pulling the sheets away from her bare body, a sight he'd missed even more.

"Oh, my beautiful lady…" he gazed down at her, his smile bigger than anyone other than her had ever seen it. "How did I ever get so lucky?"

Rangiku couldn't help but laugh. "You just have that charm about you, Gin…"

He cocked his head to the side and kissed down her neck and along her shoulder, finding himself incredibly turned on by the sound of her gasping each time his lips made contact with her skin. Bringing his mouth back up, he nuzzled her ear, sucking on the lobe playfully.

"Gin…" she giggled. "Cut it out…"

"Whaaaat?" he pulled her body full against his. "I want my Ran-chaaaan…is that a crime?"

Rangiku smiled at him, and nodded. "Oh yes…" she agreed. "Yes, it is…"

"I'm okay with that…" he breathed, pulling her back toward her bed. "I'm an outlaw, ya know…"

"Oh are you?" she pushed him down into the remaining sheets and sat upon his lap, smiling widely. "I have a thing for outlaws you know…"

"Oh really?" Gin asked, staring up at her as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Rangiku locked her arms around his neck and nodded, kissing him deeply. As she reached for his robe, she didn't seem to hear the sound of footsteps approaching her room, because she continued to seduce and strip the ex-Captain as if they were completely alone.

"Rangikuuu…" Gin's voice had grown low and husky as her hands grazed his bare stomach.

"Mmmm?" she replied, kissing along his pale chest.

"Rangiku!"

That time, it wasn't Gin calling out her name. Instead, the voice came from outside her door. Leaping from the bed quickly, Gin knew to take his place in the closet once more. He was starting to get rather annoyed with their constant interruptions.

She didn't have the time to dress as she wrapped the sheets around her once again, answering the door slowly, peeking out just enough to see the officers beyond.

"Matsumoto Rangiku?" a rather fat officer asked, peering at her, doing a very poor job of ignoring her not-so-subtle nudity.

"Yes?" she nodded. "Can I help you?"

He reluctantly looked back at the others with him. "I'm afraid you're going to have no choice, m'dear…" he told her. "You've been ordered to come with us."

Rangiku looked frightened. "On what grounds, may I ask?"

The man took a deep breath before answering. Two officers flanked either side of him, taking her gruffly by the arms.

"You're being charged and tried for the affiliation with the wanted criminals, Aizen Souske and Ichimaru Gin, Miss Matsumoto…"

**A/N:** Alrighty, I hope you guys liked that. I'll definitely be updating sometime soon. I promise.


	11. A Change of Plans

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or any of the related titles!

**A/N:** Hey guys! I'm aliiiiive! Okay, so I'll make this as quick as possible, because I know you've been waiting so patiently for ever so long for this update. I apologize for taking so long. As I said on my other updates, I've been struggling with balancing college, homework, work, life, and dealing with a bad break up lately, so writing hasn't exactly been my top priority. I'm taking advantage now, though, of my free time to get back to my fanfics and finish them as quickly as I possibly can for you guys! So, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

**Chapter 11: A Change of Plans**

Rangiku couldn't protest. She knew it'd be pointless to resist arrest, though she couldn't be certain they wouldn't search the premises afterward and discover the wanted man, naked in her closet. They didn't even provide her with time to cover herself with a proper robe before pulling her away from her room, an officer holding each of her arms.

They hadn't gotten far when the officers were stopped by Hitsugaya standing in the middle of the road. Rangiku wasn't entirely surprised to see her Captain before her; in fact she'd been expecting them to be bringing her to him. He'd be demanding some answers soon, she was sure of it. This time, however, she felt she couldn't lie to him. Maybe having Hitsugaya on their side would help Gin's situation and he wouldn't have to hide anymore. Perhaps all this would be a blessing in disguise.

"Hitsugaya-Taichou!" the officers stopped in their tracks, looking quite stunned to find the Captain before them. One of them immediately let go of Rangiku's arm as if he feared the wrath of Hitsugaya seeing his Vice-Captain manhandled.

"What are you doing with my Vice-Captain?" he asked coolly, his blue eyes shining brighter than normal.

The bigger officer stood his ground. "We've been instructed to take her in to the high council," he explained. "She's being brought in for questioning. They suspect her of being part of the Aizen-Ichimaru alliance…"

Hitsugaya took two large steps toward them (which was equivalent to a normal sized step) and drew in a deep breath. "Are you trying to tell me, you think my own Vice-Captain is going against me and my orders?"

The officers exchanged nervous glances. It was obvious Hitsugaya wasn't very pleased with the situation at hand and was bound to take matters into his own hands if they didn't hand her over in a matter of seconds.

"You're going to have to bring that up with the higher ups, there, Captain…" one of the officers spoke up. "I mean, we've got direct orders and if we show up empty handed, it'll be our nec-"

"I'll bring her there," he said shortly.

They stared back at him. This was certainly unexpected, but it wasn't exactly out of the question. If he wanted to accompany his Vice-Captain to the hearing, he would be more than welcome to. After all, he deserved to know what his Vice-Captain was up to when he wasn't around.

"Give her to me," he instructed. "You can tell those who sent you that I will bring her to them as soon as possible."

"But sir-" the larger officer started.

Hitsugaya held up a hand to hush him. The officer shut up immediately and watched as the Captain moved closer to them, holding his hand out toward Rangiku. The others had no choice but to let the woman go and nudge her toward her Captain.

Rangiku allowed Hitsugaya to take her by the arm. With a short nod to the other officers, he led her from the scene as professionally as possible. When they were out of earshot, Rangiku decided to speak.

"Hitsugaya-Taichou, you know this is absolutely ridiculous right? You know I'm not involved in all that!" she told him. "You can't let them do this to me…"

Hitsugaya didn't respond. Instead, he led her back toward her room. She looked confused, as this was the complete opposite direction of the high council. When it became clear he wasn't bringing her to her hearing, she starting to feel relieved.

"Thank you so much for believing me…" she breathed. "I don't know how they got such a thought…"

The door to her room banged open and Hitsugaya surveyed the area. Noticing her ruffled sheets and the discarded robe that belonged to the Captain of Division 3 (something the other officers thankfully hadn't noticed), he cleared his throat loudly.

"Gin, it would do you well to come out of hiding…" he announced to the room, closing the door behind him. "I know you're in here."

There was no response and for a second Rangiku thought Gin had had the nerve to make a run for it. Hitsugaya, however, was not so quickly convinced of his departure. Letting go of Rangiku's arm, he gestured toward the closet.

"Very well," he said. "Go get yourself into some clothes."

Rangiku glanced at him nervously before moving toward the closet. Her hand shook as she slid the door open, revealing a very curled up, and very naked, Gin who waved at the Captain innocently after making eye contact.

"Haha…" he laughed nervously. "Well, hiya there Cap'n Hitsugaya…"

Hitsugaya didn't look pleased, as both of them had expected. Rangiku turned away from the closet quickly, blushing furiously and still holding her bed sheets to herself. Gin started to make his way from the cramped space.

"I knew I'd find you here," Hitsugaya finally said. "I had my suspicions all along. And after all those times I warned you, you never listened to me…"

Rangiku's eyes lifted from the ground and locked onto her Captain. What was he saying? Had he been in contact with Gin all along as well? Something wasn't making very much sense.

Gin pulled on his robes quickly and stared at the man before him curiously. "You _warned_ me, Cap'n? Of what?"

"Red-heads are nothing but trouble…" he said calmly, sliding his hands into his sleeves as he crossed them in front of his chest.

Gin's eyes grew wide as things suddenly clicked for him. Rangiku, however, was even more confused than she'd been before. The two before her sounded like they were suddenly speaking a different language.

"No…" Gin circled the Captain, eyeing him cautiously. "Naw…it can't be." He shook his head and laughed loudly. "This is a rather nifty thing ya got here, Cap'n!"

"Can someone please explain to me what's going on?" Rangiku finally broke her silence, looking back and forth between the two of them.

Hitsugaya should have cut Gin's head off. That was how things would have worked if they had been anywhere else. Gin was wanted dead, not alive and Hitsugaya, she thought, had been one of the people heading the group in hunt for him. Gin should have been dead the minute she opened the door to the closet, not still standing here conversing with him as if they were old pals.

"There's been a change of plans, Gin…" Hitsugaya continued, completely brushing off his Vice-Captain as his eyes focused on Gin and Gin only. "And this time, we're going to use the girl…"

"Whaddya mean?" Gin froze, resisting the urge to look over at the frightened Rangiku. "Whaddya mean we're goin' to use her? What are we goin' to use her for?"

"They know," Hitsugaya explained. "They know we've infiltrated, and they know who's involved now. If they're already going after her, she's a danger to us. Do you really think she's going to stay loyal to you when they threaten her life like they would in front of the high council?"

Gin opened his mouth to speak, but Hitsugaya cut him off again.

"As much as you would think so, Gin, she wouldn't. And so now, we must use her to our advantage. After all, she's got some great loyalties here." Hitsugaya grinned evilly, a look that was completely unnatural for him, and started toward Rangiku. "I don't know about you, but I think there are several here who would immediately come to her rescue if word got out she was in danger."

"Not if they thought she was in league with us, Cap'n," Gin pointed out. "If they think she's on our side, they're not goin' to come after her."

Hitsugaya nodded. "You've got a point, but if someone lets it slip that she's not involved with us, and that we're holding her hostage…well," he laughed shortly. "I can imagine we'd have four or five dead shinigamis by morning."

Gin wasn't sure. He didn't want to put Rangiku in danger, and there were so many ways this plan could fall through. Looking over at the confused woman, he couldn't help but feel sorry for not being able to explain everything to her.

"It's worth a try…" Hitsugaya decided, taking Rangiku once again by the arm. This time, a strange amount of more strength seemed to be holding her than before. "I'll meet you later to discuss and work out the thorny details…" he instructed.

And before Gin could speak, the two of them were gone. Sighing heavily, he ran a bony hand down his face. This wasn't going to end well, and he knew that soon he was going to have to prove his loyalty to one side, and one side only. Someone was going to get hurt.

Grabbing a robe for Rangiku from the closet, he started toward the doorway knowing that he'd been in even deeper trouble if he didn't follow the Captain's orders. He would deal with his loyalty to the Soul Society later. For now, he'd have to heed Aizen and his warnings.

GINXRANGIKU

"Yo! Yo, Hitsugaya-Taichou!"

Hitsugaya turned around suddenly, spotting a very large officer making his way toward him. The man seemed quite flustered and out of breath and Hitusgaya could only assume that something bad had happened.

"What's wrong?" he asked immediately.

The officer panted, stopping suddenly to catch his breath. "W-Where's Matsumoto Rangiku?"

Hitsugaya stared back at him, looking quite confused. He shook his head. "I'm afraid I don't know. I didn't know I was supposed to be keep tabs on my Vice-Captain at all times. Did you try her room?"

The officer stared back at him, blinking slowly, his breathing finally mostly back to normal. "Are you trying to be funny, Captain?"

Hitsugaya looked taken aback. Of course he wasn't trying to be funny. He didn't make jokes, and everyone knew well to remember that.

"Is she needed somewhere?" he asked calmly.

"You said…" the officer pointed at him weakly. "Well, earlier, we were bringing her to the high council and you stopped us…don't you remember? You said you were going to…to bring her there yourself…don't you remember?"

Hitsugaya raised his eyebrows and shook his head once again. "I'm afraid I don't remember that. Why would my Vice-Captain be taken to the high council, and why would I offer to bring her there? You must have me mistaken with someone else. Good day."

Hitsugaya turned away from the man, thinking bitterly to himself about the men that the Soul Society hired as their guards. Morons. All of them. They couldn't tell the difference between a shinigami and a dog if they wanted to.

"No, sir!" the officer leapt forward, catching Hitsugaya by the arm. "The high council is very angry she didn't show up for her hearing today. You told us to tell them you were going to bring her, and you never showed up. They're going to come after you next! You do know that, don't you?"

Hitsugaya stared back at him, his brow furrowing in confusion. He hadn't seen this officer today, or within the last year or so, let alone have a conversation with him over Rangiku and some hearing he didn't know a thing about.

"Are you sure it was me?" he asked quietly, staring into the man's eyes, as though trying to detect some kind of fallacy behind his words. "Are you sure I was the one who spoke to you today?"

The officer nodded. "I'm one hundred percent sure, sir. There were others there too. They swear it was you. That's why I was sent here to find you."

"And Matsumoto," he continued slowly. "She left with me?"

"Yes, Captain…" the man agreed. "Are you starting to remember this now?" he looked hopeful.

Hitsugaya shook his head, his eyes suddenly focusing off on something other than the officer as he thought over the different possibilities. He had thought it strange, honestly, when Rangiku hadn't shown up for work, but had thought she had merely fallen asleep again. He was going to talk to her about it in the morning.

But now, this…

"What does this mean, Captain?" the officer's voice shook as he spoke. "Does this mean someone's done something to you? Has your memory been erased?"

"No…" Hitusugaya responded, his eyes growing dark and stony as he clenched his fists tightly. "It means that someone is going around disguising himself as a Captain…"

**A/N:** Dun, dun, daaaah! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter very much. As I said before, I'm going to try my best to update this as soon as possible. I promise. I thank you all for your love, support and patience. It really means the most to me!


	12. Not Part of the Plan

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or any of the related titles.

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Surprise! I'm alive! I've forced myself to continue writing, because I've recently discovered that I have like no homework, ever. And because I have no english classes anymore, my creativity is starting to build up and I needed a way to let it all out. And then I remembered that my poor readers haven't had anything to read in a while. SO! I'm back! I promise! I'm going to try and keep this updated as much as possible! So I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

**Chapter 12: Not Part of the Plan**

"I'm…sorry about all this, Ran-chan," Gin said, slowly closing the door behind him. "I didn't know this was going to be part of the plan."

"Right," Rangiku replied coolly, her back still to him. She wasn't angry at him. She was angry at herself. Once again, she'd played right into his hands, and once again others were in danger because of her selfish desires.

Gin sighed heavily, his back against the door. He'd been telling the truth. He didn't know Aizen was going to pull something like this. In fact, he had actually been planning on avoiding returning to Aizen. He was tired of having to choose between the two most important people in his life.

"Ran-chan…" he started toward her slowly.

She didn't respond this time. He moved closer to her, gently pushing her hair from her neck, his lips just barely dancing across her skin. She trembled violently, before turning her head to him slightly.

"Please, go away," she whispered.

"You don't really want me to go away," he breathed, his arms slipping around her waist.

Rangiku went rigid, her elbows locking to her sides a second too slow. Although his arms were trapped beneath hers, she showed no signs of enjoying their presence. He ignored this, however, continuing to kiss her neck softly.

"No, Gin," she shook her head. "This time, I would really like you to go away."

He heard her sniffle slightly before he pulled away, staring at her back, defeated. He couldn't push it this time. He'd just put her in the exact position he promised he wouldn't put her in.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered again.

As he turned to leave, Rangiku rose to her feet. "Why did you lie to me?"

He stopped, not turning back to face her. "I didn't…" he responded honestly.

"Stop it, Gin," she said roughly. "Just stop lying to me and tell me the goddamn truth. Why did you lie to me? Why am I here right now?"

Gin shook his head. He had many assumptions, each one as terrible as the next, but as far as planning went, Aizen was the only one who knew what was happening from here on in. He, Gin Ichimaru, was completely out of the loop.

"You're askin' the wrong villain, love," he replied calmly, finally turning to face her.

Rangiku shook her head, unsure of what to believe. Finding it impossible to look him in the eyes, she continued to stare at a faint crack in the wall. Gin didn't speak, waiting for her to change her mind on forcing him out.

"He's going to use me for something," she said finally. "I'm not stupid."

Gin nodded. "I'm aware of that."

"People are going to die," she continued.

"I am also aware of that," he agreed, reluctantly.

"And it's all going to be my fault," she said softly. "I can't believe I feel for that. I should have known that it wasn't Captain Hitsugaya. I should have know."

As she fell back to her seat, Gin moved swiftly to her side. "You couldn' have known, love. There's no way. Aizen knows what he's doing, and he's damn good at it," he said. "If anyone dies, it ain't gonna be your fault. Get that outta your head."

"Well, well, well…isn't this cute?"

Gin looked up quickly to see Aizen standing in the doorway. His arms were crossed as he stared at the pair in front of him. Gin moved to stand, but it was much too late. Any suspicion he had of a relationship between the two of them had been confirmed, ten-fold. Rangiku immediately looked away.

"Would you care if I had a little bit of alone time with your girlfriend, Gin?" Aizen raised an eyebrow innocently.

Gin didn't respond. He glanced sideways at Rangiku, who was still avoiding both of their gazes, and got to his feet. Aizen closed the door behind him and turned back to face the silent girl.

"You know, this wasn't part of our original plan," he started carefully. "You weren't supposed to have anything to do with this."

Rangiku still refused to speak. She didn't want to hear anything he had to say, although it did seem to line up with what Gin had claimed, which only bothered her even more. If it wasn't supposed to have happened this way, then why had they brought her there?

"Would you rather be on trial right now, potentially facing execution for treason?" he asked, as if he could read her mind. When Rangiku looked up, he laughed a little. "I didn't think so."

Rangiku shook her head. "I don't understand. Why'd you bring me back here? Why didn't you just let them take me?"

Aizen crossed the room, his arms folded across his chest as he searched for a reason. He knew Gin would be listening in outside the closed door, so he had to choose carefully.

"If we lost you, we would have lost Gin too," he responded. "Although the man's a pain in my ass, he's brilliant, and I'm not willing to risk losing him just yet."

Rangiku scoffed. She knew just as well as everyone else did that Aizen was brighter than any of the other Captain's, and if he wanted to take over the Soul Society, he could do it with his eyes closed. It wasn't Gin he needed.

"You needed me," Rangiku whispered.

Aizen turned slightly. "Excuse me?"

"You needed me," she repeated. "I'm your free ticket into the Soul Society whenever you please. You were using him to get to me."

Aizen raised a thin eyebrow. "Interesting theory, Ran-chan," his voice had a distinct tone of mockery. "I only wish the thought process behind your capture had been that thorough. If it had, then perhaps I wouldn't have to worry about explaining your disappearance."

Rangiku opened her mouth to speak, but he raised a hand to silence her.

"That doesn't mean, however, that the idea of using you to our benefit has not crossed my mind," he continued. "You won't have to stay here, but you will not be allowed to return either."

Rangiku looked confused. She didn't quite understand what he meant. Finally, he had turned completely toward her, his face no longer remotely friendly. Seeing him, for the first time in ages, was a weird experience that didn't set well with her stomach. The man before her was not the one she'd once respected. In fact, she was now convinced that this man was instead a monster merely taking his form. It made everything so much easier. The Aizen she knew would never have done something like this.

"You will be instructed to return for short periods of time, but you will be under strict surveillance. You'd be surprised who I have working for me," he explained. "You won't be the only one sneaking around."

"What is it I'll have to do?" she asked, looking hesitant. "Getting information is fine, but if you're asking me to kill someone, count me out."

"Honestly, Matsumoto, you're not exactly in the position to be calling the shots," he said dangerously. "But no, you won't be asked to kill anyone just yet. We just need to know how much the higher ups know. For now."

"Don't lie to her," Gin said, appearing in the now-open doorway.

Aizen looked up, his eyes narrowing a bit as he recognized his accomplice. "I'm not lying," he said shortly.

"You're havin' her tail someone," Gin's eyes weren't open, but it was clear that he was intending to glare at Aizen. "If you're goin' to have her work for you, your instructions oughta be clear. We all know you ain't exactly a forgiving person, Cap'n. One slip-up and it'll be off with her head."

Aizen didn't respond. He blinked slowly, as if daring Gin to continue.

"We will need you to get as close to Cap'n Kuchiki as possible," Gin shifted his focus to Rangiku. "Of course, you will not be able to start that high up, because right now you're a criminal. We need to build your reputation back up, startin' from the bottom. In time, you're goin' to be able to slip right into his office without question."

Rangiku didn't like the sound of that. No matter how influential she got, being able to speak to Captain Kuchiki without good reason was going to be nearly impossible. And Gin was right, if she messed up, it wasn't likely she'd be given a second chance.

"Got it?" Gin asked, his eyes still locked onto her.

She nodded shortly. Aizen made his way toward the doorway, not bothering to look back at her as he did so.

"I'll have an assignment for you in the morning," he said quietly. "For now, you're going to remain in here without complaint."

He stopped short when he reached Gin, turning only enough to speak to the skinny man. His voice was low and almost threatening.

"And as for you, I'm locking the door so there are no midnight visits," he said. "I like it quiet around here."

**A/N:** Hehehe. Do you really think that's going to keep Gin out? Tell me what you'd like to see happen, although I can pretty much expect it. I still wanna know. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and are still interested in the story. Thank you all for being so patient. You are amazing!


	13. Rendezvous

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach or any of the related titles.

**A/N:** Hey everyone! I apologize for being such a bum, and not being able to update as much as I'd like. I know I get a lot of crap for it, but I am so thankful that you all are so patient. My life has been completely and utterly crazy since the beginning of the semester. I've been involved in many shows, and working again, trying to get my life back in order. I also decided to take another crack at NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month for those of you who don't know. If you've never heard of it, check it out. It's amazingly fun.) I am proud to say that I managed to win this year and hit a whopping 56k words in a month. I was rather proud. But now, in between finishing and editing said novel while on Christmas break, I've decided to return to my fic writing and update as much and as often as possible! This particular chapter is quite…lemon-esque. It's not entirely vivid, but it's pretty scandalous. I hope you all enjoy it! And thank you once again!

**Chapter 13: Rendezvous**

No light managed to penetrate the walls of Rangiku's holding cell. The whole building, wherever it was she was being held captive, had fallen silent and she had been left to nothing but her own thoughts. She had calmed down a bit since her meeting with Gin and Aizen earlier, but the bitter feelings had not yet entirely fled her.

She kept thinking about that book he'd given her. She'd given it back to him, not knowing at all what it contained, and now she would give anything to have had decoded first. If she knew what Aizen was planning, she could go into whatever it was he was having her do, completely prepared with a backup plan.

But she had nothing. She could return to the Soul Society for short periods of time, but in that time, she was sure he'd be monitoring her, and she'd have a hard time escaping that. He had his allies, she was certain of it. Even he had said so.

A sudden loud crack interrupted her thoughts. Her head jerked upward, turning in the direction of the doorway. In the darkness, she couldn't see anything. Only a faint light had appeared in the distance, and faintly a tall lanky outline of a man began to form.

The man's silver hair glinted in the faint light, setting her heart into it's usual gymnastics routine. She hurried to her feet, her hands clasped together nervously.

"Gin?" she asked, hesitantly. She couldn't be sure it was him. Aizen had already proved himself to be an expert illusionist when it came to disguises. Not to mention, he'd said he was locking the door for the night to prevent Gin from entering. And yet, here he was, standing right before her. Certainly it couldn't have been that easy.

"You look stunned," he said softly, closing the door as quietly as possible behind him.

"Aizen said -" she started.

Gin laughed quietly, a candle in hand as he moved toward her, waving his free hand absently. "I helped build these walls," he said. "Do you honestly think he could keep me out?"

Rangiku couldn't help but smile. She'd almost completely forgotten how angry she'd been at him only a couple hours before. Gently, he set the candle down on the little table Aizen had set up next to the cot he'd provided for Rangiku to sleep on. Turning to her, he took her into his arms, kissing her slowly.

"Gin…" she breathed as he finally pulled away. All the air seemed to escape from her lungs in those few moments, making it very difficult for her to focus on anything other than breathing.

"Shh…" he quieted her, kissing her again, ever so softly.

She shook her head, though she didn't actually want him to stop. "We need to talk…" she told him, allowing her lips to meet with his a few more times before she dared to speak. "About the book…"

"What book?" he asked, innocently, guiding her down to the floor next to him. His lips traveled from her lips to her neck, gently sucking at the skin just below her chin. She gasped lightly, her hands running up his pale arms.

"Y-You know what book I'm talking about," she said. "The one…" she gasped again. "The one you gave me…"

"Oh," he said, a small smirk appearing at the corner of his mouth. "That book…"

His hand slid across her shoulder, pushing aside the fabric that covered it. He didn't particularly wish to talk about _that_ book, but he could dance around it enough to satisfy her for the time being. He had much better plans in store than discussing the downfall of the Soul Society. Much, much better plans.

"Gin, please…" she pulled herself away from him, not bothering to fix the sleeve of her robes. "I'm serious…"

"And so am I…" he said, honestly. "I seriously want you outta them clothes…" he grinned widely, reaching for her once more.

Rangiku moved quickly, though she couldn't deny the fact that the bluntness of his last statement had hit her right below the stomach - somewhere that instantly grew very warm. She looked him dead in the eye, her hands shaking a little.

"What did that book say?" she asked as sternly as she could muster.

"I dunno," he answered, blinking his narrow eyes a few times. "That's why I gave it to you. I couldn't read it, myself."

His hand deftly traveled up her other arm, removing the second sleeve, causing her robes to fall about her chest, revealing her rather curvaceous body more so than had been before. Rangiku grinned, a sudden thought coming to her mind. She moved forward seductively, her long fingers tracing the side of his bony face.

"Wanna play a game, love?" she asked quietly, allowing her fingers to travel down the side of his neck and along the neckline of his robes. She could feel his chest tense slightly beneath her touch.

He grinned even wider, his eyes suddenly dazzling. "Game?" he said, chuckling deviously. "I like games. What kinda game do you have in mind?"

She moved closer to him, nearly placing herself in his lap. He held his breath, waiting for her next instruction, his eyes level with the magnificent breasts Rangiku never seemed to be ashamed to show off - especially to him. Not that he minded, of course. She could show them off as much as she wanted, as long as he was the only one in the audience.

"If you give me something," she whispered, her hand moving now along his leg. "I'll give _you _something in return."

Her hand landed between his legs on a very sensitive spot. She could feel him go rigid beneath her, only causing a large smile to erupt on her face, her eyes still locked onto his. His breathing hadn't corrected yet - in fact, it might have gotten worse in the last few seconds - but he was very much interested in this particular game. They'd never quite played something like this before, and he was sure he was going to want to more in the future.

"What do you say?" she asked, as if there were any question about his interest. "You in?"

Gin nodded, pulling her closer to him, closing his eyes as her grip on his manhood tightened gently. "O'course I'm in, dove…whaddya wanna know?"

Rangiku pressed her lips to the side of his neck, kissing it gently as she breathed her question. "What is Aizen going to use me for?"

Gin trembled a little, still not opening his eyes. "Interesting foreplay topic…" he mentioned, not answering her.

Her grip lessened immediately, and she pulled her lips away, causing him to suddenly change his mind in withholding information from her. He was more than willing to tell her anything she wanted to know.

"Just to tail some people," he told her, resting his head in the crook of her neck, moaning gently as her grip returned to it's original intensity. "F-Find out how much the Society knows about…mmm…" her hand began to move in a slow stroking motion. The heat she'd been feeling before suddenly coursed through his lower half, aching for relief. "…about our plan…"

Her free hand slid across his chest, pushing aside his robes. Helping her along, he removed them as much as possible, allowing her better access to him. When he reached to do the same to her, she stopped him, still grinning dangerously.

"Not yet," she told him, only causing him to throb even more beneath her hand. He didn't want to play this game anymore. He wanted to play the game where he could just have her. "Few more rounds left, love…"

Her stroking grew rougher as she straddled herself on his legs. He leaned back, his neck arching backward as he rest himself on his elbows, gasping softly with each tug.

"Who am I tailing?" she asked. She didn't know exactly how many questions she would end up having, but she loved having this kind of power over him for a change.

"I…I don't know…s-someone import-aah…mmph…" he managed to get out, biting his lip a little as her motions slowed, but her grip became tighter around him. "Ohh…Ran-chan…" he moaned, finally looking back at her lustfully. "Can I please…?"

She shook her head, this time lowering her head to him, her mouth getting awfully close to her hand. She didn't dare get any closer without sending out another question at him. He didn't quite deserve it yet. He wasn't proving to be very helpful.

"What does Aizen have hidden in that book?" she said softly, her hot breath trailing his bare skin, causing it to tingle. Gin writhed beneath her, his hands reaching for something to hold on to.

"I-I honestly don't know…" he groaned, his head rolling a little. "Oh Gods…"

"I really don't think that's a good enough answer…" she threatened, moving her mouth as close to him as possible without actually touching it. He began to pant pathetically, the warmth of her breath teasing him.

"P-Plans…I think…" he answered, quickly, going with his only assumption. "For taking over the Soul Society…"

This, she could have already assumed, but it was nice to know that he thought the same thing. Only finding it fair, she suddenly replaced her hand with her mouth, sucking at him just as gently as she'd been tugging. This caused an even greater wave of heat to course through his thin body.

Of course, unable to speak with her mouth full, Gin moaned uncontrollably, not even concerned at all that Aizen might be able to hear them somehow. She finally removed her mouth, glistening and wet, and smiled at him.

"Final question," she gasped, panting a little herself now.

He lifted his head just enough to be able to look back at her, wondering what his prize would be this time. His mind reeled with the possibilities, each one as hot and enticing as the next.

"This is for everything," she told him. "Are you ready for it?"

He nodded, more ready than he was ever going to be. He wanted her, and he wanted her now. The more she stalled, the more he wasn't going to be able to control himself.

"Are you willing to betray Aizen to help us a final time?" she asked, her eyes flashing with all seriousness.

Gin's grin disappeared, his eyes suddenly not blinking at all. The heat seemed to be the only thing driving him at this point. Bringing himself to a sitting position, he cradled her head in his hands and slowly kissed her deeply, nodding as he did so.

This answer seemed to be good enough for her as she let him remove her remaining robes, taking complete control over her. He grabbed her legs roughly, his lips suddenly attacking her neck, wrapping them around his waist.

He took her hands into his own, gripping them tightly and pinning her to the floor. As their hips rocked together, and she felt the rush of a familiar physical intrusion once again, she threw her head back and cried out softly. The sound only motivated him to continue, letting it echo off the walls, oblivious to any other occupants of the building.

Their panting growing nearly uncontrollable, Gin finally leaned his mouth to her ear, uttering his own question.

"Do you trust me?" he breathed.

Rangiku, sweating and shaking beneath him, stared at him for a moment, her eyes more honest than they'd ever been before. With a short nod, there was no turning back, from both his actions, and the silent pact made between them.

**A/N:** So there you have it folks. I hope you enjoyed it. I rather enjoyed writing it, to be completely honest. It's been a while since I've had a scene like that, so I was a little rusty. I hope it came out okay nonetheless. Be looking for another update, hopefully in the near future. I don't want to keep you waiting, but if I do, then I apologize right now! (And honestly, if you're going to comment, just complaining about how long I take to update…just think about it, I could stop writing it altogether. Then how would you feel? Things could be worse. I know, I suck. I'm sorry. Just please don't keep complaining about it. I feel awful, but I'm updating as fast as I can! I swear!)

I love you all! Thank you all for being so very patient!


End file.
